Environmental Hysteria

Season 1, Episode 13, Aired
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Episode Summary

Here Penn & Teller explore the truth behind fears about global warming, air quality, water quality, acid rain, species extinction, and take a look at Greenpeace's activities. They also examine the idea of blindly joining up for causes, such as environmental ones, without getting all the pertinent information first.''''Special Guest Experts include:''''Julia Butterfly Hill (Tree Hugger, Author)''Jerry Taylor (Director of Natural Resource Studies, CATO Institute)''Bjrn Lomborg (Author)''Patrick Moore (Ecologist; Founder and Former President of Greenpeace)''Ross Gelbspan (Environmental Journalist)''Kate Loewe (Global Justice Activist; Organizer, Rainforest Action Network)''Nina Fascione (Vice President, Defenders of Wildlife)moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (2)

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  • Penn & Teller look into the environmental movement and attempt to discredit their claims of an environmental holocaust.

    6.0
    "Fair"
    By meathead704, Apr 06, 2006 Report Abuse
    This is a good episode that does have its high points (Patrick Moore's interview is one of those points) but the problem I have with the episode is a problem that exists through out the series. The side that Penn & Teller is for is represented by people who are very well knowledgeable on the subject and the side they are against is represented by people who are just the opposite. They have no idea what they are talking about and therefore they cannot present a viable debate. The show needs to correct this problem.moreless

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    1 6

  • An interesting episode which questions the true motives behind environmental legislation and whether these laws actually accomplish their objective.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By PowerBen5000, Feb 24, 2006 Report Abuse
    I really enjoyed this episode. It really explores the idea of unintended consequences.

    For example, they examine the "Endangered Species Act". Now I'm all in favor of protecting our natural resources and wildlife, but Penn and Teller find a great example of how such legislation doesn't work and ultimately ends up hurting people.

    They interviewed a wheelchair bound woman who could not build a handicap-accessible house on her property because an unusual bird species had a nest there. Consequently, she cannot sell the property or develop it in any way unless the birds leave (but must pay the property taxes, of course). She is forced to live in a house that is not handicap friendly and made to take showers with a garden hose outside.

    I have to say this one really made me question the government's true motives. A+, Penn and Teller, you have done it again.moreless

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    2 1
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • An additional segment with Patrick Moore and an additional segment with Julia Butterfly Hill can be seen in the deleted scenes on the season one dvd. Edit

  • Notes

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    • This episode recieved a TV-PG rating. This is the show's least-adult rating ever. The most-adult rating was the episode, "Sex, Sex, Sex" which recieved the rating TV-MA. Edit

  • Quotes

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    • [last lines] Cameraman: Why are you so passionate about this? Loewe: [laughs, no response over 10 unedited seconds] Edit
    • Fascione: [on Endangered Species] It's important to point out that if you're on a ship heading toward an iceberg, you don't wait until you have the exact measurements of the iceberg before you put on the brakes. Penn: And you have to try to not become obsessed with that great, fictitious white whale. Edit
    • Penn: We keep saying that Kate is "the chosen spokesperson for The Rainforest Action Network" because if we don't keep saying that, it seems like we're just picking on somebody. She's not some poor little girl, she's a woman. And she's THE woman THEY chose to represent THEM. Sure, we're a piddly stupid cr*p show, so maybe they sent in the junior varsity speaker. But has no one ever asked any of these very basic questions that we asked? Has SHE never asked any of these g*dd*mn basic questions of the group that she so fervently supports? Edit

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