Student Groups to Screen Bill Nye Documentary

Talon Delaney

Multiple student groups are sponsoring a campus screening of Bill Nye’s climate change documentary on April 4, a seasonable topic with the virulent threat of climate change looming on the precipice.

The ISU Atheist Agnostic Society (AAS) and Climate Reality Corps: Iowa State organized the event. The screening will start at 7 p.m. at 1001 Troxel Hall. Nye’s documentary tackles topics like space exploration, the science of climate change and the arguments of climate change deniers.

Caleb Lumley, senior in mechanical engineering and president of AAS, said he first heard about the film from the Secular Student Alliance, a sponsor of AAS.

“Back in November they talked about how other campuses were screening the documentary,” Lumley said. “The Climate Reality Corps was really helpful too, we couldn’t have done this without their help.”

AAS managed to procure the rights to Nye’s movie from PBS through ISU Media Relations. They only have the rights for a single screening.

The film received mixed reviews among audience members, but resonated well with critics. It scored 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Besides Nye, the film features pop culture icons like scientist Neil Degrasse Tyson and writer Ann Druyan.

Climate change is a divisive issue in the U.S. According to a 2016 Pew Research Poll, 48 percent of American adults believe climate change is caused by human activity, 31 percent believe it is the result of natural causes and 20 percent don’t believe it’s happening at all.

Scott Pruitt, the current head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is part the 20 percent of climate change deniers. His opinion is challenged by more than 90 percent of scientists who believe human-caused climate change is an imminent and threatening reality.