[00:00:13] But look, Senator Harris, you're you're entitled to your own opinion, but you're not entitled to your own facts. You yourself said on multiple occasions when you were running for president that you would ban fracking. Vice President Pence, once again, you provided the perfect segue way to a new topic, which is climate change.

[00:00:42] So what a night. Well, OK, a few things. One, I think Prosecutor Kamala definitely showed up yesterday, verbally kicked Mike Pence in the nards multiple times of the night night.

[00:01:01] Very eloquently put out. Yeah. Right.

[00:01:08] Yeah. Yeah. And. But I don't know. What do you guys think about on the climate front? What were your reactions?

[00:01:17] Well, I noticed that Kamala brought it up first and actually pretty early, like shortly after the 30 minute mark, which was like impressive. I remember watching debates before and being really frustrate, like even in the primaries. Where it wasn't until, like the last couple of minutes that they brought a climate in it, even if the candidates tried to bring it up, the moderators would like to shift the conversation away from it. So, yeah, Pomerleau brought it up first, then Mike Test like was more than willing to get into that conversation. The moderator brought it up on purpose. And then the candidates kept going back to it. So I think that's the most substantive bill alive. A lot of ways, but most messes of climate conversation we've ever seen in a national debate. I'm in Harlem. I am at the residence of Brian and Cynthia Thompson, who have graciously hosted me. So I don't have to sit through this bloodbath alone. And Brian made me a lovely negroni tonight. Nice, like little cherries. And it was delicious. .

[00:02:24] You know, I had my first Negroni tonight.

[00:02:29] Your first day first ever, ever stands for the love it.

[00:02:35] I loved it. Yes, I'm a convert. And now. And yes, we put we put blood oranges on top. So we were calling them bloodbaths. Love it. Love, honor. Yaha the night.

[00:02:48] Yeah. Yes. Brian, what do you think?

[00:02:50] I mean, I generally agree. I think, you know, it's just it's really I agree with that. I also find it really disheartening that way by tense like just wipe his ass off. Do you have a thing like that? Yeah. Yeah. So was it substantive in terms of the time? Yeah. Totally. Things that she said. Very good. But like the fact that like half of that time was just devoted garbage. Yeah, a little. Yeah. It was disheartening. Also, like, you know, it's like it's the thing that makes me more noise. It was even like, oh no, this is let's go through for this book. It wasn't like he put any effort into the trash. Like she just was like, I'm going to shovel some old crappy talking points.

[00:03:26] It was so I was like, is it nineteen ninety eight. Like really. Yeah.

[00:03:33] Like you couldn't keep the numbers for two like I mean like compared with Trump's other because Trump pulled out the whole like last debate. Like what was it. It's a hundred. True and truly. Yeah. Mike like pences like. Oh true. True and everything. It's like these guys aren't even like they clearly just like. Yeah. Don't even give a shit enough to like get their bad vibes Wyandotte. Which is.

[00:03:51] But the thing is like even with that is still the most substantive conversation we've ever seen about this in a climate debate or in a national debate, because before this was just ten minutes period, total cumulative. So that's where we got this much, even like if you cut it in half. The part that Carmelo is saying was substantive. And [00:04:11]I think like she's hiding something when she says, like, we're not going to ban fracking, which is something that Amy knows a lot about. [6.8s]

[00:04:18] [00:04:18]Actually, I don't I kind of don't understand why they're just seeding that talking point, though. They're they're letting the right frame. As you know, banning fracking is bad because it loses jobs like wine. I don't know why she doesn't come right back to that and say fracking companies are going out of business right and left. They're laying off their workers and they're not giving them any like they've only hired this many people. None of these companies have ever made money. The only way people have made money is when is like the first investors who made money off of later investors. That is a pyramid scheme. You don't need to ban fracking if it's dying all on its own. [37.5s]

[00:04:56] Right? Right. It's like a car.

[00:04:59] Why does I quit till like like why she doesn't talk about the fact that it's like the most government subsidized form of energy and that it is like poisoning people and that the people in the states that have fracking don't fucking want that. Right. They're also worried about Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania voters don't fucking want fracking. They're all. More than half of Pennsylvania voters across the aisle are now saying that they want at least some sort of tighter restrictions on fracking. Yes, I don't think that is why the side that supposedly believes we should act on climate is so fucking afraid of just like answering that question.

[00:05:42] I really think it's a surprise to me that they don't want to, like, go with the idea of talking about, like, what a just transition could be and talking about job creation stuff and what these dirty jobs that are going to be. Let's be real quick. We're all adults here. Fossickers and like a habitable planet don't coexist. And so, like you can people history are a limited resource.

[00:06:04] So when we choose to transition or not, we will have to at some point. Why not make a plan? Maybe they think that the graveyard's will have fossils by then.

[00:06:17] Like maybe you if it look like logit.

[00:06:28] God also also mad props to the fly. I love that fly the fly already has its winner. I mean, the fly, right? Yes.

[00:06:40] They fly. Yes. Yes. So you did there every day. You were.

[00:06:46] Yeah, I did. I can tell. I can see those lights flying.

[00:06:55] Cause he's on like the undead, right? Like zombies. These my 20 20 bingo card. And I'm calling it right now.

[00:07:06] My case for. What do you mean on national TV? Yeah. Coming out. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. But it beats the shit out of Biden's like, you know, red eye. Oh. The climate debate last year or climate townhall. But I did komala bringing up like the body count of the Trump administration and laying out. Titterton and qualitative terms that like. No. There's blood on these people's hands.

[00:07:33] I thought she did a good job of like talking to the camera, too. And like now.

[00:07:38] Oh, I mean, I think that, you know, it was kind of wild to me to hear like the football like of pens trying to be like, you know, we see the American people sacrificing and looking at like what this White House has done. I think they really just held like a super spreader event to celebrate this judge that, you know, he's got a big family, though, does a big family.

[00:07:57] That was so weird, right? That was very weird. And I had a lot of kids. I guarantee it would be a whole different story.

[00:08:05] Does that really weird? I think that had to be some, like, weird. I'm not a religious person. I think that was a religious nod somewhere. Yes, it definitely wasn't my size. I was like, that is a very odd thing to get very odd. Like the fact that he is a son, like, you know, like to be like, you know, we some see their own sacrifice and the whole time, like, they're pushing people to, like, literally sacrifice themselves and potentially die while they're doing everything they can do, like just live off like that sacrifice like nothing's changed. And a family came home to the White House with the super secret. But it's like, yeah, yeah. It's just so creative and and awesome. It's really just a disgusting thing that I brought up that sort of very human connected to, like real American lives experience stuff. Yeah. I trust that.

[00:08:53] Yeah. And then at the end it's like, well, are you going to. Are we gonna have a peaceful transfer of power if we lose the administrate. If you lose the election. And homies just like we're not losing that way for it, just that is bad.

[00:09:07] But it totally will. It's just a repetition of what Trump was saying to and then all these talking points about how the Democrats are trying to like, you know, steal the election by, I don't know, letting people vote.

[00:09:22] I mean, it's ridiculous. You're also in office. Do. Like, what do you mean steal the Drilled?

[00:09:32] I think about like, you're ineffective of the president. You know.

[00:09:44] Good for you and for you guys about Stephen Miller having Cauvin. Are you ready? Yeah, it's it's not really like in joke format. It's just a pun.

[00:10:02] Did you come back? No. No. Someone texted it to me and I was like, that was good.

[00:10:25] Also, like, just real quick, fuck him. Oh, my God.

[00:10:30] Yeah. Yeah. You know, I actually until today, I actually had, like, somewhat of a sympathetic view of Cambodia because I was like, you know, I like this dude asked a dumb question or what we would consider maybe kind of dumb basic question, 2016. But isn't this like a real like this is like a guy like you, just some guy. And this is this question. So I think you like getting like movies. You can see the look there. It's not good. We are still gonna say that I wasn't going to let like I felt learn is a good example of, like, people just like this, the level of knowledge that many Americans are operated on. And not that we need to all be like be a little. Yeah, very little. Exactly. I thought that was really informative. Yeah. Okay. Well, I know this and like, I think you feel like I can understand the information environment that I need to operate better. But after he came do that, I was like, I'm voting libertarian because the other options suck. Yes. Like, wow, buddy, you're really actually just really fucking dumb.

[00:11:27] Who is you? Kimberly Shaquill is what I want to know.

[00:11:32] Like. Does he have siblings? Does he have cousins?

[00:11:35] Is there anybody who could like could have like, yoked him up real quick? I don't expect child to have the answers as I do now. But yeah. Anyway. But Kimbo and his red sweater doesn't like. Why the fuck do you still like. Why did somebody bring up Ken Brulle like why is Amy with the new Ken Burns. Why does he have a verified Twitter account. It's like he's like the bonds owned by.

[00:12:12] And he's he's totally wearing the red sweater in both his profile like it's Abby Pic and his being. So you couldn't say no.

[00:12:21] I mean, who knows where he's most known for? I mean, will forever be known as the red sweater, red sweater. And then, like you really Halfords Akimoto, like people found his bride at the county fair. Like a bunch of like porn.

[00:12:46] Going back to the climate conversation, real.

[00:12:49] Another thing that I find really frustrating about those sorts of conversations is that the Democrats always like cede the ground of like making it about job creation or job. Yeah.

[00:13:00] When it's got lives saved and lives lost. I know.

[00:13:04] I don't understand why they don't turn the pro-life thing on on its head with that. Right. You know, like, I never I never understand that. Yeah. Also, I really don't understand why Comilla didn't go like. Actually, no.

[00:13:17] No one is advocating for abortion at birth. Yeah. That's not how things are like. Yeah.

[00:13:27] It was like I don't think Mike Pence understands where babies come from or how childbirth works. But that's a whole other story. Come from mother, me from mother's loins.

[00:13:43] And Alien Man is a vampire. And I guarantee you, this is a vampire zombie, which widely both is. I wouldn't put it past my to have a little bit of you know what? He blessed the other blood, but it eats people. Cannibal chertok. Undead cannibal. Yep.

[00:14:03] This is definitely taken a turn.

[00:14:16] Brian. I feel like I need a palate cleanser. Did you bring us some of your hate mail? Oh, yeah, I have. I really quick.

[00:14:23] Yeah, I actually got really good, like solid like a solid seven, maybe eight. Hate mail today. Nice. I had a good quality straight ahead. Everything was in all caps. Yeah. Yeah. It's seven, eight, nine paragraphs. It's like my paragraphs about. My gosh.

[00:14:43] Wait a second before you get into it. Listeners, Brian loves his hate mail. If you have not heard, like, the first installment of Brian's hate mail letters, go back to our episode with them from like August there,. So if you have negative reviews for Hot Take, we asked it, not put them into items and instead emailed them to Brian at Brian, Darkon at earthward dot com. That's the r i a n dot k a h in at earthier dot com.

[00:15:16] He will read them. I will. And I welcome everyone's hate about me. This podcast or news or whatever it is that you want to hate. Just some. Yeah.

[00:15:26] Well we'll send it to Brian. Yeah. Please come on. Some shit right over here. I feel like Brian.

[00:15:36] I feel like you're missing a huge opportunity for for your perfect newsletter, which is just like hate mail.

[00:15:44] Oh yeah. That sounds like a good self reinforcing thing. Yeah, it would be. Maybe that's it. Yeah. Hey, man, what are you. I mean, who would it be called.

[00:15:53] Literally it's literally writes itself, Bryan.

[00:15:58] Wow. That's the million dollar idea.

[00:16:04] So this one that came in all caps. That's many, many, many paragraphs. The Silverglade was your quote quotation mark. Forest Management to quotation marks. Exclamation point. I don't think it is very long, but I'll just read you the last paragraph, which I think was just amazing.

[00:16:25] Then Brian, Uncle Sam will say, Brian, I know no Brian. And you do not know Don Trump. So USA is full of double quotation marks. No nothings.

[00:16:41] That's that's it. That's that's I mean, I read that it would have me home. No, it actually didn't make any fit. No, it's great. This person, There, signature includes their e-mail address. It says There, writer and Ulster's includes the words university degrees, university degrees.

[00:17:00] There's so many. It's like not even. OK. That's all right. Yeah.

[00:17:06] So, you know, I def I got really going first. Just tell me you are a fucking moron, ok. Yeah. I'm going to tweet that. Yeah. I'm sorry basic. I got a good one from a I think this muscleman after it was actually at rupee's only California having its first million acre fire I think a fire. Yeah. And people get really mad about that. Besides this lack of facts and this one reads, you have no basis, in fact, for any of the statements you have made, which makes me wonder who pays you to spew this trash and why. Stop spreading stupidity and expecting people to mindlessly accept it. Get a real job. Get a real job. And I really felt it was not. I mean, it's like it was pride to want to list all the clean slate ads.

[00:17:51] You know, it's a you know, I didn't even sign your name. That was the worst. It's like this verbiage. You. Yeah. And actually, this is what I think you appreciate. This person may actually be a I take listener is the subject line. It's just. Come on, man. This will be done. OK, Brian, I know you read your emails. You censor even the ones criticizing you, even abusing you. I want to take you for a wild ride in your imagination.

[00:18:21] However, truth be told, every bit is true and then it goes on into some crazy fuckin conspiracy stuff about cars and Macker sizing them. And I don't even now.

[00:18:36] Does Elon Musk make anything? No. No, he does not, actually. Maybe. But this person did so to get back to them.

[00:18:45] They gave me their cell phone number and I spent, what is it on the air. But if you want sex, my buddy Peter, after I left, they said, well, I know you said you were the one who helps you because he references the fact that he has sent multiple e-mails.

[00:19:06] I should read them all to get a better stance. So maybe one the other ones does back mention on Muscat's.

[00:19:11] I mean, you've got to read the trilogy. I mean, this e-mail is a lie. And so I don't know if I'm ready to Copac and read the other ones, but there's a there's a lot going on. There's a lot going on. There is a lot going on. I actually also got some nice ones. Someone just sent me an email with just the subject line that said Enjoyed your. My Heater's article. Great job. That's very sweet. I welcome. Yeah. Base male two. Just for the record, folks.

[00:19:40] Yeah. You love that. You can if you like. They say about heartache you can say them too.

[00:19:45] Yeah. Send them the nice stuff. Yeah. Leave them a nice review. Yeah. But then you can send it to me too. You can see me on it.

[00:19:57] That's how I look at all of that. Oh you're just what you're saying to me is that you have not left this review. Oh yeah.

[00:20:06] That's going to do that right now.

[00:20:18] Why wouldn't they let the butterfly into the dance?

[00:20:25] Cindy Sheehan, because it was a moth ball.

[00:20:32] OK. What do you call a fly without any.

[00:20:37] Mike Pence's best friend. Oh, Larry, what a wall, a wall.

[00:20:47] Not a flat. Well, why? I get it. I get it.

[00:21:06] Any closing thoughts on the I and debates and these fucking clowns?

[00:21:13] I mean, I feel better. I feel way better after watching that than I do after watching the last one.

[00:21:20] Yeah, that's true. Yeah. That gave me a shot in the arm that I needed. Kamala's history as a prosecutor has never been more clutch.

[00:21:32] Yeah. Even though it was a lot of bad faith arguments, it was really something to see them actually talk about climate.

[00:21:42] Yeah, I thought so, too. I actually thought the moderator did a good job. Both Yeah.

[00:21:47] Although although in saying that, that does remind me of my other big pet peeve in this debate, which was that she just asked Pence if he believed climate change was like you.

[00:22:04] I know that is the one thing I wish she had been like, well, I wish she'd push back on that or I wish, but I think that that part could drive very liberal. And she did pretty good.

[00:22:13] Yeah. Yeah, she definitely did better than Chris Wallace said last year. Last week. Street feels like it's been a year. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:22:23] I will say this is like my fault. It's, you know, it's she did better. Chris was did whatever Chris Wallace did. I think the the points that they really just need some really smart people to ask clever questions like, oh, some folks talking right now raps about these things.

[00:22:37] Are you pitching yourself to moderate the next debate I was pitching and all of us. But if you don't want to I mean, I so think I could do that without cussing. I think that there should be Cusi in debates. Actually, it will be a lot of it.

[00:22:58] All right. Well, we'll see if either Pence or his pet fly spread Coupet around everyone this week.

Transcription

A recap of the VP Debate, particularly the climate bits and what everyone got wrong on fracking, with guest commentator Brian Kahn, of Earther!

S2, Ep11 | Political Instability =/ Planetary Instability, with Justin Worland

S2, Ep10 |  The Flyest Debate Ever, with Brian Kahn

Hot Take is a holistic, irreverent, honest look at the climate crisis and all the ways media and society are talking—and not talking—about it. Hosted by real-life friends Mary Annaïse Heglar and Amy Westervelt—an essayist and a journalist— Hot Take offers a unique perspective on the issue of climate change. With a breath of fresh humanity and humor, conversation moves swiftly from cackling about the bad week an oil company had, to speaking seriously and passionately about the unequal distribution of climate impacts and our own experiences of climate grief. And then washing it down with a round of dad jokes! Every week, we’ll connect you with the latest climate news and with the journalists and storytellers trying to make sense of this complex issue to help you see the world through climate-colored glasses. We ended production on Hot Take at the end of 2022, but you can still access episodes here, or 

A holistic, irreverent, honest look at the climate crisis and all the ways media and society are talking—and not talking—about it.

S2, Ep10 | The Flyest Debate Ever, with Brian Kahn

About This Episode

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S2, Ep11 | Political Instability =/ Planetary Instability, with Justin Worland