Global Warming Faces Off Against Jesse Ventura

I had a few conversations where I was asked, “Have you seen Jesse Ventura’s show Conspiracy Theory?” I hadn't, but it sounded interesting enough for me to check it out. I did and guess what I found? Episode 3: Global Warming. I don’t run from criticisms of global warming, I look at them as an opportunity to see what people have been hearing that leads them to believe things such as a conspiracy theory about global warming.

Jesse Ventura has a great speaking voice and the danger-around-the-corner music adds to this shows dramatic edge. How the show works generally is Jesse introduces the apparent conspiracy theory and sets out to prove whether it’s valid or not. He presents his leads to his group of researchers and investigators. They each go out, interview the various leads and return their findings to Jesse. Jesse does some digging himself by interviewing and addressing some evidence he’s been given as well.

First, what is the apparent conspiracy about? The theory goes that global warming is being used as an excuse to make money and control the world. The idea of a world government and a government looking to control every aspect of our lives is thrown around with ease by many of the leads in this episode.

So how did Jesse’s team do?

Well according to Jesse’s conclusion, “The conspiracy here is a scare tactic to control people, make billions, even trillions in profit. And the evidence we’ve uncovered makes it pretty clear, money is at the root of this movement. Al Gore you’ve been a real inspiration, but a lot of other people who preach the global warming gospel are not out to save the world. They’re out to run it!”

I introduce this conclusion first because it was interesting to hear him mention his “evidence he’s uncovered”. What evidence did he uncover?

One investigator from Jesse’s team talked to a climate scientist who is a global warming critic. He lives in “the outskirts of civilization” where he’s “hiding for his life”. This scientist was shunned and even threatened for his belief that there are other reasons for global warming. He doesn’t deny global warming or climate change, he just doesn’t believe it’s a manmade condition.

“CO2 is not the cause for the warming,” said the scientist whose face is not shown for protection, “it’s the sun.” He mentions that the sun is completely ignored by many and that the manmade argument is being used for “political control and to control every aspect of people’s lives.” Still, what about the sun? This guy never says why the sun is at fault. They dwell more on how this conspiracy theory is plausible instead. Hole #1.

Another investigator goes to speak with a “world-renown physicist” at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT).  This “doctor in hiding” – at MIT keep in mind – believes it’s dangerous for anyone to make claims against global warming. He brings up the money issue by mentioning, “It’s said the U.S. alone has spent almost 700 billion dollars on research. The last thing anyone would want to do is solve the problem. Why choke this gravy train?” His input is that the earth’s temperature isn’t rising and mainstream scientists’ projections are wrong. He then reiterates the reason for the continuing claim of global warming has to do with money and government control. 

The evidence sure is adding up. They have one climate scientist who says global warming is happening, and then an atmospheric physicist who says it’s not. Hole #2. Important to mention is that these two leads do agree on one thing, the validity of the conspiracy theory, which sure is convenient for the show.

The team speaks with more leads, all making the same claim. One lead is tagged as an “environmental whistleblower”. A CEO from Hara software, software that would help companies use cleaner-energy while maintaining a profit, is grilled by Jesse and goes up against some end-of-the-world music. A former UK science advisor speaks out, but the episode points to the root of the whole problem, a man named Maurice Strong.

Maurice Strong was a Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and then became the first Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. This man is claimed to be behind the idea of a world government, speared through a call for unity to halt environmental harm. The goal has been to create a world Conservation bank, which will fund a world government, which will run our lives. They never find Maurice because “he’s a man without a country.” Still, they show a video feed from a group in Beijing that believe Maurice lives behind a very well protected building. They show a glimpse of cops and run! An almost laughable piece of evidence.

They point to the creation of the euro as evidence of the world coming together under a single currency. They mention the Climategate scandal, which involved the surfacing of emails between scientists that voiced skepticism. And finally the call from the United Nations for a world currency, or an end to the dollar.

My conclusion: Theatrical indeed, but no pressing evidence is presented that makes anything pretty clear as Jesse says. All that is clear is that there are people who buy into the conspiracy theory, and are willing to go on TV about it.

Hole #3 is the overemphasis on making money in this upcoming business. Why is this a hole in their argument? Because of course investors in new technology will have the potential to make money, but that’s the game with investment in new technology. That’s the incentive for many to try to discover new technology. The argument for this new technology can be made without the need to present scientific evidence for global warming though. The potential for companies to attain economic benefits by using renewable energy and the threat to our national security caused by our dependence on foreign oil are other important factors. But this potential benefit would be for the companies who save money through lower energy bills and for citizens in the U.S. who don’t have their fellow citizens stationed in countries just to protect oil interests. 

Bottom line: This episode of Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura makes a dramatic attempt at validating a conspiracy theory behind Global Warming. But they’re cold. Keep looking Jesse, you’re not warm yet.