David Letterman's Global Warming Rant: "We Are Dead Meat" (VIDEO)

"We are dead meat," said David Letterman last night in the midst of a lengthy rant on global warming. He blamed a lack of leadership over the last several decades. He also said he didn't think that little steps like reusing party toothpicks or turning lawn clippings into mulch could possibly help.

WATCH the clip:

Related: Grist's David Roberts complains that Thomas Friedman, the guest on the show, failed to be interesting at all.

Who did a better job -- Friedman or Letterman?

Comments

[CluelessOne]

Wow. All these conflicting remarks regarding global warming. Finally someone with the requisite knowledge and authority speaks out. Thanks Dave, I can finally put this issue to bed.
The timing couldn't be better. This weekend I am taking in an atmospheric physicist at the local comedy club

[Nooneyouknow]

Well, you won't listen to the atmospheric physicists, so we thought we'd try a celebrity on you. After this we're just going to mail the dead polar bears to you.

[crazylikeafox]

Letterman has a small child. He is looking into the future and is scared sh*tless for his child. Read some science articles, some news articles, some books, and take a look at some satellite photos and around your own environment at all the changes. You'll be scared sh*tless too.

[530Rose]

People might laugh but at least they are hearing it. When intellectuals like Friedman, Gore, RFK Jr, and Obama talk about it, many people find it hard to pay attention, even if they are trying. It is too much like being in a science class. After working all day, we watch TV to wind down, not be put to sleep or lectured to. But when people like Letterman and Stewart, watched by millions of people who have no interest in watching in-depth news shows, talk so strongly about problems like global warming and people might give it a second thought. They are on the edge of their seats, waiting for the punchline. Hopefully they will realize that if McCain wins this election, they will be the punchline.

[walk0nwalls]

It's nice to see that our deaths come with a laugh track.

Irony will be with us to the end.

[isis]

I think I am going to flag lies that I am getting sick of.

[isis]

Letterman has more leadership than a lot of politicians.

[concerned4OurFuture]

Someday an interplanetary traveler will find this video and remark "Dave was right". Bad news for us is good news for the planet, though. Throughout the four billion or so years of its existence, earth has heated up, frozen over, continents have shifted thousands of miles apart, colossal meteors have slammed into it, the magnetic poles have shifted, and so on. We may not survive this, but neither did the dinosaurs (except for their feathered descendants). Once we're gone, the earth can start healing itself again, and cleansing itself of all the poisons we've produced to foul the air, water and soil.

[Woodfella]

And that will be a very, very, very long time from now.

By then we will have built colonies in space or on another planet.

The human race will endure.

[herbkornfeld]

I'd have to disagree, Woody.

Every species that has ever existed has gone extinct, or will. That list includes us.

Just like yeast in a vat of beer we're either going to poison our own environment with our "output" and make our home so toxic we can no longer survive in it, or we are going to consume every available resource and starve ourselves out of existence.

Either way; Dave is indeed right...we­'re going bye-bye, sooner or later.

[ashabot]

Why are they laughing?

[11Xray]

Too bad that ol' Dave never took a historical geology course; he would realize that our climate has been much, much warmer than the doomsayers predict, and that the earth, flora, fauna, and yes, even mankind, has survived just fine. The sky is not falling.

[1conservative]

I keep quoting, "Henny Penny the sky is falling." There is no proof of global warming. I just read an article that says the earth has been the coolest in the last five years than it had been. Not enough data to confirm global warming. People are like sheep, one goes over the cliff and they all go!

[530Rose]

Republicans are especially like sheep. They say whatever they are told to say http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184086.

Actually, Lemmings would be a more apropo term, since sheep are not the ones that go over the cliff. Or didn't you take any zoology courses?

I hope that there is a He11, conservatives will be the first to rot in it.

[Alvarask]

That must explain why the arctic will be completely melted this year after never having melted before in known history.

[Nooneyouknow]

Maybe, but all of the records for hottest year have been set in the past decade. One cooler year does not mean that the obvious signs of global warming don't mean anything.

[yosephus]

"Henny Penny the sky is falling." The actual character who thinks the sky if falling is Chicken Little. You're quoting Donald Rumsfeld, who misattributed the quote to Ms. Penny. You have a lot of gall accusing others of being sheep, you can't even think for yourself when quoting a god damn nursery rhyme.

If the drastic loss of arctic sea ice, the retreat of glaciers (which you can SEE in PHOTOS), the measurable warming of the oceans, the loss of permafrost in the tundra -- if these don't convince you, what more do you want? Do you know what melts glaciers? It's called "warmth."

You "just read an article that says... " Do you believe the last thing you read or hear without examining its reliability vis-a-vis other sources of information. Where did you read this article? Who wrote it? Are they "anti-libe­ral-media" types who bash global warming on principle because they'd rather attack news than understand it?

I beg of you, the way you gather and judge information is simply not working you or your fellow human beings. Go to where they do meteorology and climatology. Look at their instruments. Talk to them about how they came to their conclusions. And LISTEN. It's important that you LISTEN to people who know more than you about something. That's how you LEARN THINGS. Just DO IT. Instead of listening to Bill O'Reilly, listen to someone with brains and knowledge.

Repent and be a better citizen.

[Taratrue]

"The sky is not fallimg...­."

....but your head is in the sand.

[Topsailsman]

11Xray,

Since you took the course, please specify the timeframe when the earth's climate has been much much warmer than now when homo sapiens was around. I don't have that information, and I'd like to use it with others. Also if you can cite some reputable sources that would be great. Thanks.

[GuiltyByStander]

I didn't take geology either. Could you be more precise about "even mankind, has survived just fine" in the face of warmer temperatures?

Do you mean that, historically -- or pre-historically -- some of us survived? Are you suggesting that even with proximate sea level increases alone (ignoring other likely effects) many of us will not need to relocated and so disrupt or destroy this fragile economy? People won't starve?

[wendynyc]

The head of the EPA under Bush/Cheney comes from the American Petroleum Institute.

The Republicans have been so short sighted over the last 30 years.

No investment in mass transit, no development of alternative energy, just a whole lot of bullshit about high costs to consumers.­Well consumers will pay costs - no matter what - the biggest one being the story that is not being told by our main stream media::

THE DEATH OF OUR PLANET!!

[Tellecter]

Dave is an idiot -- and proved it again in this clip.

New York's mean temperature in February 2008 was 35.8 F -- not 68 degrees. One day it was 68 -- four days later it was 10. New York had a very normal winter -- very wet and snowy -- but also plenty cold.

http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=okx

[notastinkinlib]

At last, someone who understands. Dave really IS an idiot.

[genia]

Isn't Obama on tonight with Dave. Oh..maybe Dave ..can show us his balls.....­lol

[CamJam]

WHAT?

I'd rather see the moosecow queen on his show... I'm sure David would love to talk to her about her
Alaskanomics:
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1839724,00.html

[Mojane]

Holy sheit. David Letterman. Wow.

What puzzled me, though, is that throughout his harrangue there was much laughter from the audience. I fail to see the humor in anything he said. Anyone else?

[CamJam]

I noticed that too....
It is funny the way he says it, but when you listen carefully to what he means, he's serious as h3ll.

[Collielady]

It was nervous laughter. If McSame/PAIN get into the White House all important issues will become moot. Their "end times" prophecy will become self-fulfilling.

[530Rose]

But while they are laughing they are listening. I know way more "underinformed" voters that watch Letterman than watch news shows. His "Rant" was something I would love to hear more of. Intellectual discussions (like Obama, Friedman, Gore, Kennedy) lose most people in the first few minutes, even when they are trying to listen. They just don't have the education to get their brain around it. But this was entertaining, understandable, and emotional. I am sure they were on the edge of their seats for this, waiting to see what the punchline would be. I wish they would understand that, unless they vote for Obama, they will be the punchline.

[PleaseMakeItStop]

I think sometimes shock makes people laugh. Seriously.

[barkanomics]

the laughing was bizarre. walking off to the ovens, chucking all the way.

[Chas53]

Hey Dave, get the mooseburger lady on your show.

[StandUpAmerica08]

I loved it! I was cheering him on! Good use of his media time.

Thank you for speaking out!