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CNN Live Today
Kerry Trying to Keep Pressure on Bush Over Handling of Iraq Conflict, War on Terror
Aired May 28, 2004 - 11:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Other political news today. Democrat John Kerry trying today to keep the pressure on President Bush over his handling of the Iraq conflict and the war on terror. Let's go to Washington and "INSIDE POLITICS" anchor Judy Woodruff. Judy, good morning.
WOODRUFF: Good morning, Daryn. Thanks very much.
Senator Kerry is in Green Bay, Wisconsin this hour for a town hall meeting with military families. Wisconsin is the second stop of the Kerry campaign swing focusing on national security. In Seattle yesterday Kerry began to layout his vision for a stronger and safer America, rejecting the go it alone foreign policy that he says is a hallmark of the Bush administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We do not have to live in fear or stand alone. We don't have to be a lonely watchman on the walls of freedom. Instead, we must honor the legacy of the greatest generation by restoring respect for the United States as the greatest force for freedom and progress on this planet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: Former President Clinton is disputing critics who say John Kerry is playing it safe in his campaign against President Bush. Clinton says Kerry is smart to focus on the issues instead of trying to offer daily commentary on news events.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FRM. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think he's running too safe a campaign. I don't think it's his job and I don't think he sees his job as making constant commentaries.
See I think -- you know, I've followed this reasonably closely. And I think he's made quite clear what he believes about the major issues in the news today. And I think he's shown a certain reticence which given the seriousness of the problems we face in the world today has been quite appropriate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: Outspoken former presidential candidate Howard Dean is reportedly turning to the written word as his newest forum. "The Bennington Banner" in Vermont says Dean has signed on to write a weekly column for a Kagle (ph), a company that syndicates political columns and cartoons to more than 500 publications nationwide. Dean's first effort could be in print on Monday.
Well it's Friday and that means it's time for our "Political Play of the Week." Bill Schneider reveals the winner this afternoon. So join me for that and much more at 3:30 Eastern on a special edition of "INSIDE POLITICS." I'll be live from the World War II memorial on the national mall here in Washington. I'll see you then.
Right back to Daryn in Atlanta.
KAGAN: All right, Judy, we look forward to seeing you out there on the Mall.
President Bush will join veterans for the dedication of the World War II memorial tomorrow afternoon. And for more on that let's check with our Sean Callebs. He already is on the Mall this morning. Sean, good morning.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. You can hear a sound check going on behind me. They've been doing this throughout the morning. The sounds of big band music as well as the roles the dignitaries will play in unveiling this memorial this coming weekend.
Now from where we are, a lot of vets are going to be all the way back here. It's going to be very difficult to see up close. It's going to be very crowded. But there is much, much better view of the site. And a lot of people of course want to get up and see it this close.
But once they do get up there, they will find something that they don't find in other monuments around the Washington, D.C. area. There's a more hands on area. It is a way that those can look up not only those who perished during the war, but also they want to recognize every one who served.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS (voice-over): Granite, bronze, water. All characterize the World War II Memorial. But the new addition to Washington has another feature.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No it doesn't have any pictures. It just has the names.
CALLEBS: An interactive kiosk designed to make the experience more personal.
ADAM COCHRAN, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: The reaction has been pretty good so far because a lot of people can look up the names if they were in World War II or if they had a loved one that died or didn't die that was in World War II. They can look them up and sometimes see a photograph. CALLEBS: The wall of 4,000 bronze stars at the site are there to honor the 400,000 U.S. troops who died during the war. All of their names are in the interactive directories.
The National Park Service says it has the lofty goal of identifying and listing all 16 million veterans who served.
COCHRAN: I don't think it's realistic to have ever single name ever on there, but that's our goal. We're going to keep doing this, forever, really.
If any people, you know, remember somebody or they know of a loved one, they can add it at any point.
CALLEBS: Sadly, park rangers say, time is of the essence. The memorial is being dedicated 60 years after the end of fighting. Studies show an estimated 1,000 World War II vets die each day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: It has been 11 years since then-President Clinton approved construction of this monument. And while the festivities are of course planned for this weekend, it actually opened to visitors 30 days ago. The National Park service saying it wanted to do everything possible to welcome vets as soon as possible. Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: And, Sean, what about the huge concern with security? Just how intense is that going to be over the weekend?
CALLEBS: It's going to be very intense. There are going to be at least a thousands uniformed officers out here as well as number of rapid response teams in the area. There are actually going to be boats patrolling the river, not terribly far from here, as well. Metal detectors are going up as well. It is going to be quite the scene.
They also have a lot of medical help out here as well. They know that there will be a great number of elderly out here this weekend. They're trying to do everything possible to accommodate everyone and keep it safe.
KAGAN: Sean Callebs in Washington, D.C.
Paula Zahn, by the way, will be hosting our live coverage of the World War II memorial dedication. That's live at 2:00 p.m. Eastern tomorrow. And this will have another exclusive interview with first President Bush, a veteran of World War II.
You already know that smoking is bad for your lungs and for your heart. But how about every other organ in your body? The scary results in the new study are up next in our "Daily Dose" of health news.
And later a frozen New York and a tornado averaged L.A.? Only in the mind of Hollywood? We're going to look at the science and non- science of "The Day After Tomorrow." Bill Nye the Science Guy is our guest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: It has been 40 years since the first surgeon general's report warning about the dangers of smoking. Now a new report links smoking to even more diseases.
Our Christy Feig has that in our "Daily Dose" of health news.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Smoking has been known to cause heart disease and some cancers, like lung. Now the U.S. Surgeon General says there is new evidence to show it causes disease in nearly every organ in the body.
DR. RICHARD CARMONA, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: The list of diseases caused by smoking has been expanded to include abdominal aortic aneurysm, acute myeloid leukemia, cataracts, periodontal disease, pneumonia, cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach.
FEIG: Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 chemical agents, according to the National Cancer Institute, including more than 60 substances that are known to cause cancer in humans.
CARMONA: The toxins in cigarette smoke go everywhere that the blood flows.
FEIG: The Tobacco Industry says we agree with the medical and scientific evidence that cigarette smoking causes serious diseases and that there is no safe cigarette. In the long run, we will be working to try to find ways to reduce the harmful compounds in cigarette smoke.
(on camera): The Surgeon General says since the first report came out in 1964, 12 million Americans have died from smoking related illnesses, often 13 or 14 years before they would have died if they didn't smoke.
CARMONA: Nearly 25 million Americans alive today are destined to die prematurely unless they quit smoking cigarettes.
FEIG (voice-over): And studies show it's never too late to stop smoking. Even quitting at the age of 65 or older can cut your risk of dying from a smoking related disease in half.
Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: To get your daily dose of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.
You have seen the trailers, and today, if you want, you can go see the movie. But just how real is the science in the day after tomorrow? We have gone to the Science Guy. Bill Nye is with us, Coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Evacuate everyone south of that line.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What about the people in the north?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: If they go outside, the storm will kill them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Today's weather forecast calls for hurricanes, tidal waves, tornadoes and a new ice age, all at once. Fortunately for us, it's just fiction. It's the big budget disaster movie, and a message comes to the big screen. Welcome to "The Day After Tomorrow." Environmentalist are latching on to this film. Could the fictional disaster be the real world outcome of global warming run amok? Well, who better to explain. We need to ask Bill Nye the Science Guy. He's in L.A. this morning.
Bill, good morning.
BILL NYE, "THE SCIENCE GUY": Daryn, good morning.
KAGAN: Have you seen the movie, Bill?
NYE: So -- no, I haven't. But I've watched the trailers.
KAGAN: Yes, and that's really all you need to see.
Yes, the premise, explain the premise to us.
NYE: Well, I get it. The premise of the bit is that you get so much global warming the ice caps melt and the ocean rises, it affects the weather and everything changes very quickly. And you could say that's totally unreasonable and crazy and so on.
KAGAN: One could say that.
NYE: But there is, yes, there is a considerable historic or geologic evidence that there have been catastrophic climate changes or very rapid climate changes, especially when the ancient lakes, so- called paleo lakes burst. The ice dams that would hold their sides would fall apart, and these huge amounts of freshwater would flow into the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean. That is a tremendous effect on the currents, especially, for example, the Gulfstream. If the Gulfstream were to shift dramatically, in just a couple decades, you could alter the world's weather very, very quickly.
KAGAN: OK, but that's decades, Bill. With this movie, I think they're talking it happens in a weekend.
NYE: Yes, that's right. Well, sure, but if nothing else, this movie is getting everybody talking about it, because the world's climate is changing, and the evidence that humans are responsible is mounting. I would -- you can't say that it's absolutely, absolutely for absolutely certain, but it's almost for certain that humans are causing these -- this global climate change. And it's going to be OK in the developed countries. And I say OK. It won't be great. It will be OK. We're going to -- I'm sure we'll build sea walls and dikes. We'll live the way people in Holland do. But in developing countries, where they don't have the resources for this kind of thing, it's going to be a mess.
Now the reason that the sea is going to...
KAGAN: Hold on. In the movie, it all happens in a weekend. Scientifically, could all these bad, terrible things, because of global warming, happen in a single weekend?
NYE: I don't think so.
KAGAN: OK.
NYE: But they could happen -- by looking at geologic evidence, they could happen in less than a century. Which, if you are a species, like humans, that's pretty quick.
KAGAN: That still is fast, in the whole scheme of things.
NYE: That's pretty dramatic. Let's say, for example.
KAGAN: For example.
NYE: For example, you're going to plan this thing called the Big Dig in Boston. That takes 30 years or so, right?
KAGAN: Right.
NYE: Well, all that planning would be for naught if you were to change the climate as dramatically as in this movie in that same timeframe. And indeed, we are changing, or we seem ton changing the climate as about that speed, so it is something worth considering.
KAGAN: And So what you're saying, the positive spin of all this, at least it is getting people talking, no matter where you fall on the global warming state, talking and perhaps changes that people could make perhaps to take better care of the planet?
NYE: Well, the thing is the changes have to be made. There's one way -- I say have to be made. The changes that we could make are on the one hand dramatic, and overwhelming, and totally impossible, and crazy and there's nothing we could possibly do about it, on the one hand. On the other hand, they're subtle and easy, and if we just start now, we could, dare I say it, change the world. You know, the longest journey begins with but a single step.
The problem is, or the thing that we're doing in the United States, and I think largely accidentally, we are exporting this lifestyle where we use so much energy that we create a lot of carbon dioxide and other climate-changing gases, and people are embracing the United States way of life.
KAGAN: Are you going to take your hybrid car and thrive to a local movie theater and see "The Day After Tomorrow."
NYE: Daryn, you're not going to believe this, but I won't even take my hybrid car, I will ride my bicycle.
KAGAN: Even better.
NYE: People think you can't possibly -- no, I ride my bike all the time, and not everyone is able to do that. I mean, I totally get it. But bear in mind, that if each person were to drive one fewer mile a week, in just a few months in North America, we would have billions and billions of miles saved. It's a hard thing to get. The opportunities in conservation are enormous. And if this movie gets people talking about that, that's good. But it doesn't look like -- the movie is, I think the expression is, over the top.
KAGAN: Yes, well, and it got us talking this morning. We appreciate it. And what you save on parking and gas, extra popcorn for everyone at the movie theater.
Bill, Bill Nye, the Science Guy.
NYE: Good morning.
KAGAN: Thanks for stopping by.
NYE: Are we done?
KAGAN: We're done. That's it. That's it. That's goodbye, Bill. Always good to have Bill stop by and get his take on what we're talking about.
Also we're looking forward, the president will be speaking from the White House Rose Garden. That is just ahead. You'll see the comments live here on CNN. We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: President Bush is wrapping up his morning get together with the Danish prime minister. We expect comments from the White House, from the Rose Garden in any moment.
Right now, Frank Buckley standing by at the White House with what we can expect from the president.
Good morning again.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
We're expecting the president and prime minister to talk about Denmark's commitment to the transition of power in Iraq. Right now, Denmark involved with some 400 to 500 troops on the ground in Iraq. Questions about whether or not they will stay. We expect to hear if those troops will stay on the ground in Iraq. The meeting that's taking place today in the Oval Office following a phone call this morning with another world leader from President Bush, President Bush talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation in Iraq. The White House spokesman Scott McClellan telling us that both agree that it was important for the views of the Iraqi people themselves to be considered, taken into account in what happens during the transition period on June 30th when the interim government takes over in Iraq and Iraq receives its sovereignty. As you know, that process taking place on June 30th.
Right now, the U.N. special envoy Lakmar Brahimi (ph), is talking to a number of different groups. He is consulting widely, and today news came out of Iraq that the Iraqi Governing Council has endorsed the selection of Iyad Allawi (ph) as the prime minister of the interim government, but Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, saying he is one idea of many ideas as the White House moves forward and this process moves forward of selecting an interim government.
There is some talk that that interim government would be named by the end of this week -- a president, two vice presidents, 26 different ministers, and a prime minister -- but so far that slate of names, that's eggs expected to come from special envoy Brahimi, we have not yet seen.
KAGAN: And so, Frank, the president has a Danish prime minister with him today. This is kind of kicking off a month where he is having a lot of international contact, a lot of different world leaders, whether it's D-Day or the G-8 summit that is going to come up in Sea Island, Georgia.
BUCKLEY: And the NATO summit also coming up in Istanbul later in the month of June. The president also laying out over the course of the next several weeks, leading to the June 30th transfer of power, essentially a speech a week to keep the American public informed about exactly what the process is. As you know, the president laid out a plan earlier in the week, with a number of steps that would take place for the transfer of power.
KAGAN: All right, Frank Buckley standing by at the White House. As soon as those comments begin from President Bush in the Rose Garden, we'll go back live to the White House. Meanwhile, that's going to do it for me, Daryn Kagan. I hope everyone has a very meaningful Memorial Day weekend. Carol Lin in for Wolf Blitzer today.
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Aired May 28, 2004 - 11:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Other political news today. Democrat John Kerry trying today to keep the pressure on President Bush over his handling of the Iraq conflict and the war on terror. Let's go to Washington and "INSIDE POLITICS" anchor Judy Woodruff. Judy, good morning.
WOODRUFF: Good morning, Daryn. Thanks very much.
Senator Kerry is in Green Bay, Wisconsin this hour for a town hall meeting with military families. Wisconsin is the second stop of the Kerry campaign swing focusing on national security. In Seattle yesterday Kerry began to layout his vision for a stronger and safer America, rejecting the go it alone foreign policy that he says is a hallmark of the Bush administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We do not have to live in fear or stand alone. We don't have to be a lonely watchman on the walls of freedom. Instead, we must honor the legacy of the greatest generation by restoring respect for the United States as the greatest force for freedom and progress on this planet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: Former President Clinton is disputing critics who say John Kerry is playing it safe in his campaign against President Bush. Clinton says Kerry is smart to focus on the issues instead of trying to offer daily commentary on news events.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FRM. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think he's running too safe a campaign. I don't think it's his job and I don't think he sees his job as making constant commentaries.
See I think -- you know, I've followed this reasonably closely. And I think he's made quite clear what he believes about the major issues in the news today. And I think he's shown a certain reticence which given the seriousness of the problems we face in the world today has been quite appropriate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: Outspoken former presidential candidate Howard Dean is reportedly turning to the written word as his newest forum. "The Bennington Banner" in Vermont says Dean has signed on to write a weekly column for a Kagle (ph), a company that syndicates political columns and cartoons to more than 500 publications nationwide. Dean's first effort could be in print on Monday.
Well it's Friday and that means it's time for our "Political Play of the Week." Bill Schneider reveals the winner this afternoon. So join me for that and much more at 3:30 Eastern on a special edition of "INSIDE POLITICS." I'll be live from the World War II memorial on the national mall here in Washington. I'll see you then.
Right back to Daryn in Atlanta.
KAGAN: All right, Judy, we look forward to seeing you out there on the Mall.
President Bush will join veterans for the dedication of the World War II memorial tomorrow afternoon. And for more on that let's check with our Sean Callebs. He already is on the Mall this morning. Sean, good morning.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. You can hear a sound check going on behind me. They've been doing this throughout the morning. The sounds of big band music as well as the roles the dignitaries will play in unveiling this memorial this coming weekend.
Now from where we are, a lot of vets are going to be all the way back here. It's going to be very difficult to see up close. It's going to be very crowded. But there is much, much better view of the site. And a lot of people of course want to get up and see it this close.
But once they do get up there, they will find something that they don't find in other monuments around the Washington, D.C. area. There's a more hands on area. It is a way that those can look up not only those who perished during the war, but also they want to recognize every one who served.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS (voice-over): Granite, bronze, water. All characterize the World War II Memorial. But the new addition to Washington has another feature.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No it doesn't have any pictures. It just has the names.
CALLEBS: An interactive kiosk designed to make the experience more personal.
ADAM COCHRAN, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: The reaction has been pretty good so far because a lot of people can look up the names if they were in World War II or if they had a loved one that died or didn't die that was in World War II. They can look them up and sometimes see a photograph. CALLEBS: The wall of 4,000 bronze stars at the site are there to honor the 400,000 U.S. troops who died during the war. All of their names are in the interactive directories.
The National Park Service says it has the lofty goal of identifying and listing all 16 million veterans who served.
COCHRAN: I don't think it's realistic to have ever single name ever on there, but that's our goal. We're going to keep doing this, forever, really.
If any people, you know, remember somebody or they know of a loved one, they can add it at any point.
CALLEBS: Sadly, park rangers say, time is of the essence. The memorial is being dedicated 60 years after the end of fighting. Studies show an estimated 1,000 World War II vets die each day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: It has been 11 years since then-President Clinton approved construction of this monument. And while the festivities are of course planned for this weekend, it actually opened to visitors 30 days ago. The National Park service saying it wanted to do everything possible to welcome vets as soon as possible. Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: And, Sean, what about the huge concern with security? Just how intense is that going to be over the weekend?
CALLEBS: It's going to be very intense. There are going to be at least a thousands uniformed officers out here as well as number of rapid response teams in the area. There are actually going to be boats patrolling the river, not terribly far from here, as well. Metal detectors are going up as well. It is going to be quite the scene.
They also have a lot of medical help out here as well. They know that there will be a great number of elderly out here this weekend. They're trying to do everything possible to accommodate everyone and keep it safe.
KAGAN: Sean Callebs in Washington, D.C.
Paula Zahn, by the way, will be hosting our live coverage of the World War II memorial dedication. That's live at 2:00 p.m. Eastern tomorrow. And this will have another exclusive interview with first President Bush, a veteran of World War II.
You already know that smoking is bad for your lungs and for your heart. But how about every other organ in your body? The scary results in the new study are up next in our "Daily Dose" of health news.
And later a frozen New York and a tornado averaged L.A.? Only in the mind of Hollywood? We're going to look at the science and non- science of "The Day After Tomorrow." Bill Nye the Science Guy is our guest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: It has been 40 years since the first surgeon general's report warning about the dangers of smoking. Now a new report links smoking to even more diseases.
Our Christy Feig has that in our "Daily Dose" of health news.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Smoking has been known to cause heart disease and some cancers, like lung. Now the U.S. Surgeon General says there is new evidence to show it causes disease in nearly every organ in the body.
DR. RICHARD CARMONA, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: The list of diseases caused by smoking has been expanded to include abdominal aortic aneurysm, acute myeloid leukemia, cataracts, periodontal disease, pneumonia, cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach.
FEIG: Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 chemical agents, according to the National Cancer Institute, including more than 60 substances that are known to cause cancer in humans.
CARMONA: The toxins in cigarette smoke go everywhere that the blood flows.
FEIG: The Tobacco Industry says we agree with the medical and scientific evidence that cigarette smoking causes serious diseases and that there is no safe cigarette. In the long run, we will be working to try to find ways to reduce the harmful compounds in cigarette smoke.
(on camera): The Surgeon General says since the first report came out in 1964, 12 million Americans have died from smoking related illnesses, often 13 or 14 years before they would have died if they didn't smoke.
CARMONA: Nearly 25 million Americans alive today are destined to die prematurely unless they quit smoking cigarettes.
FEIG (voice-over): And studies show it's never too late to stop smoking. Even quitting at the age of 65 or older can cut your risk of dying from a smoking related disease in half.
Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: To get your daily dose of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.
You have seen the trailers, and today, if you want, you can go see the movie. But just how real is the science in the day after tomorrow? We have gone to the Science Guy. Bill Nye is with us, Coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Evacuate everyone south of that line.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What about the people in the north?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: If they go outside, the storm will kill them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Today's weather forecast calls for hurricanes, tidal waves, tornadoes and a new ice age, all at once. Fortunately for us, it's just fiction. It's the big budget disaster movie, and a message comes to the big screen. Welcome to "The Day After Tomorrow." Environmentalist are latching on to this film. Could the fictional disaster be the real world outcome of global warming run amok? Well, who better to explain. We need to ask Bill Nye the Science Guy. He's in L.A. this morning.
Bill, good morning.
BILL NYE, "THE SCIENCE GUY": Daryn, good morning.
KAGAN: Have you seen the movie, Bill?
NYE: So -- no, I haven't. But I've watched the trailers.
KAGAN: Yes, and that's really all you need to see.
Yes, the premise, explain the premise to us.
NYE: Well, I get it. The premise of the bit is that you get so much global warming the ice caps melt and the ocean rises, it affects the weather and everything changes very quickly. And you could say that's totally unreasonable and crazy and so on.
KAGAN: One could say that.
NYE: But there is, yes, there is a considerable historic or geologic evidence that there have been catastrophic climate changes or very rapid climate changes, especially when the ancient lakes, so- called paleo lakes burst. The ice dams that would hold their sides would fall apart, and these huge amounts of freshwater would flow into the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean. That is a tremendous effect on the currents, especially, for example, the Gulfstream. If the Gulfstream were to shift dramatically, in just a couple decades, you could alter the world's weather very, very quickly.
KAGAN: OK, but that's decades, Bill. With this movie, I think they're talking it happens in a weekend.
NYE: Yes, that's right. Well, sure, but if nothing else, this movie is getting everybody talking about it, because the world's climate is changing, and the evidence that humans are responsible is mounting. I would -- you can't say that it's absolutely, absolutely for absolutely certain, but it's almost for certain that humans are causing these -- this global climate change. And it's going to be OK in the developed countries. And I say OK. It won't be great. It will be OK. We're going to -- I'm sure we'll build sea walls and dikes. We'll live the way people in Holland do. But in developing countries, where they don't have the resources for this kind of thing, it's going to be a mess.
Now the reason that the sea is going to...
KAGAN: Hold on. In the movie, it all happens in a weekend. Scientifically, could all these bad, terrible things, because of global warming, happen in a single weekend?
NYE: I don't think so.
KAGAN: OK.
NYE: But they could happen -- by looking at geologic evidence, they could happen in less than a century. Which, if you are a species, like humans, that's pretty quick.
KAGAN: That still is fast, in the whole scheme of things.
NYE: That's pretty dramatic. Let's say, for example.
KAGAN: For example.
NYE: For example, you're going to plan this thing called the Big Dig in Boston. That takes 30 years or so, right?
KAGAN: Right.
NYE: Well, all that planning would be for naught if you were to change the climate as dramatically as in this movie in that same timeframe. And indeed, we are changing, or we seem ton changing the climate as about that speed, so it is something worth considering.
KAGAN: And So what you're saying, the positive spin of all this, at least it is getting people talking, no matter where you fall on the global warming state, talking and perhaps changes that people could make perhaps to take better care of the planet?
NYE: Well, the thing is the changes have to be made. There's one way -- I say have to be made. The changes that we could make are on the one hand dramatic, and overwhelming, and totally impossible, and crazy and there's nothing we could possibly do about it, on the one hand. On the other hand, they're subtle and easy, and if we just start now, we could, dare I say it, change the world. You know, the longest journey begins with but a single step.
The problem is, or the thing that we're doing in the United States, and I think largely accidentally, we are exporting this lifestyle where we use so much energy that we create a lot of carbon dioxide and other climate-changing gases, and people are embracing the United States way of life.
KAGAN: Are you going to take your hybrid car and thrive to a local movie theater and see "The Day After Tomorrow."
NYE: Daryn, you're not going to believe this, but I won't even take my hybrid car, I will ride my bicycle.
KAGAN: Even better.
NYE: People think you can't possibly -- no, I ride my bike all the time, and not everyone is able to do that. I mean, I totally get it. But bear in mind, that if each person were to drive one fewer mile a week, in just a few months in North America, we would have billions and billions of miles saved. It's a hard thing to get. The opportunities in conservation are enormous. And if this movie gets people talking about that, that's good. But it doesn't look like -- the movie is, I think the expression is, over the top.
KAGAN: Yes, well, and it got us talking this morning. We appreciate it. And what you save on parking and gas, extra popcorn for everyone at the movie theater.
Bill, Bill Nye, the Science Guy.
NYE: Good morning.
KAGAN: Thanks for stopping by.
NYE: Are we done?
KAGAN: We're done. That's it. That's it. That's goodbye, Bill. Always good to have Bill stop by and get his take on what we're talking about.
Also we're looking forward, the president will be speaking from the White House Rose Garden. That is just ahead. You'll see the comments live here on CNN. We're back after this.
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KAGAN: President Bush is wrapping up his morning get together with the Danish prime minister. We expect comments from the White House, from the Rose Garden in any moment.
Right now, Frank Buckley standing by at the White House with what we can expect from the president.
Good morning again.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
We're expecting the president and prime minister to talk about Denmark's commitment to the transition of power in Iraq. Right now, Denmark involved with some 400 to 500 troops on the ground in Iraq. Questions about whether or not they will stay. We expect to hear if those troops will stay on the ground in Iraq. The meeting that's taking place today in the Oval Office following a phone call this morning with another world leader from President Bush, President Bush talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation in Iraq. The White House spokesman Scott McClellan telling us that both agree that it was important for the views of the Iraqi people themselves to be considered, taken into account in what happens during the transition period on June 30th when the interim government takes over in Iraq and Iraq receives its sovereignty. As you know, that process taking place on June 30th.
Right now, the U.N. special envoy Lakmar Brahimi (ph), is talking to a number of different groups. He is consulting widely, and today news came out of Iraq that the Iraqi Governing Council has endorsed the selection of Iyad Allawi (ph) as the prime minister of the interim government, but Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, saying he is one idea of many ideas as the White House moves forward and this process moves forward of selecting an interim government.
There is some talk that that interim government would be named by the end of this week -- a president, two vice presidents, 26 different ministers, and a prime minister -- but so far that slate of names, that's eggs expected to come from special envoy Brahimi, we have not yet seen.
KAGAN: And so, Frank, the president has a Danish prime minister with him today. This is kind of kicking off a month where he is having a lot of international contact, a lot of different world leaders, whether it's D-Day or the G-8 summit that is going to come up in Sea Island, Georgia.
BUCKLEY: And the NATO summit also coming up in Istanbul later in the month of June. The president also laying out over the course of the next several weeks, leading to the June 30th transfer of power, essentially a speech a week to keep the American public informed about exactly what the process is. As you know, the president laid out a plan earlier in the week, with a number of steps that would take place for the transfer of power.
KAGAN: All right, Frank Buckley standing by at the White House. As soon as those comments begin from President Bush in the Rose Garden, we'll go back live to the White House. Meanwhile, that's going to do it for me, Daryn Kagan. I hope everyone has a very meaningful Memorial Day weekend. Carol Lin in for Wolf Blitzer today.
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