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Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, the largest and fastest growing conservative youth activist organization in the country with over 250,000 student members, over 150 full-time staff, and a presence on over 2,000 high school and college campuses nationwide. Charlie is also the Chairman of Students for Trump, which aims to activate one million new college voters on campuses in battleground states in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. His social media reaches over 100 million people per month and according to Axios, he is one of the "top 10 most engaged" Twitter handles in the world. He is also the host of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” which regularly ranks among the top news shows on Apple podcast charts.
Charlie Kirk Dismantles Climate Change Activist on Carbon Dioxide and Fossil Fuels at Campus Event
Charlie Kirk engages in a heated debate with a student activist who challenges him on fossil fuels and climate change. The student accuses Donald Trump of abusing fossil fuels and worsening the climate crisis, but Kirk methodically breaks down the science of carbon dioxide, explains the fundamental role of carbon in all life, and challenges the certainty around anthropogenic climate change. The exchange escalates as Kirk questions the activist's understanding of basic chemistry and solar phenomena, ultimately advising the student to approach knowledge with more humility and less pride.
During a campus event, Charlie Kirk found himself facing an impassioned student activist who wanted to discuss what they called Donald Trump's abuse of fossil fuels. The student framed their concern around the destruction of coal and the increase in carbon dioxide emissions, which they believed was making the climate change crisis significantly worse and polluting the oceans.
Kirk immediately challenged the premise by asking the student to clarify what they meant by "abusing fossil fuels." The student doubled down, insisting that the administration was destroying coal and making carbon dioxide emissions much worse than necessary.
Breaking Down the Science of Carbon Dioxide
When Kirk asked if the student knew what carbon dioxide actually is, offering to show or let them hear it, the exchange became more revealing. The student seemed confused about the fundamental nature of carbon dioxide as an invisible, odorless gas. Kirk pointed out that carbon dioxide is a chemical property that cannot be seen or heard, correcting the student's misunderstanding when they tried to claim they could hear it through Kirk's voice.
Kirk then delivered a fundamental lesson in chemistry and biology. He explained that all human beings are made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. More importantly, he emphasized that carbon is life itself—we expel carbon, and life cannot exist without these essential elements. This was a direct challenge to the vilification of carbon in climate change rhetoric.
Three Truth Claims About Climate Change
Kirk then laid out his three-part position on climate change in clear terms:
Global temperatures are rising—this is acknowledged
The degree to which human beings are responsible is not clear
Climate change solutions proposed are far worse for humanity than any good they would possibly do
When the student asked Kirk to repeat his second claim, he emphasized that the degree of human responsibility for rising global temperatures remains highly debated. The concept of anthropogenic climate change, he noted, is not settled science despite what activists claim.
The Debate Over Human Responsibility
The student became more agitated, insisting that humans are literally 100 percent responsible for climate change. When Kirk questioned how they could know this with such certainty, the student resorted to accusations: "It's because you don't read science. You don't believe in college."
Kirk pushed back against the notion that "science" exists as a monolithic authority like the Bible—a single source of unquestionable truth. He pointed out that there is substantial debate about what is causing rising global temperatures. Kirk mentioned alternative explanations that scientists have considered, including solar flares and tilts in the Earth's axis.
Confusion Over Solar Phenomena
The exchange took an unexpected turn when the student appeared to confuse solar flares with solar power, asking how solar flares could emit carbon dioxide. Kirk clarified that he was referring to flares from the sun—massive releases of energy from the sun's surface that can affect Earth's climate. This moment highlighted the gap in understanding between the two debaters.
A Final Word on Humility
As the exchange grew more heated and time ran short, Kirk offered the student some parting advice. He encouraged them to do research, but more importantly, to approach their positions with less pride and more humility. Kirk concluded with a principle he clearly values: "Humility is the beginning of learning and knowledge."
The interaction demonstrated the challenge of debating complex scientific topics when participants have vastly different levels of understanding about basic concepts, and when one side treats their position as absolute certainty rather than remaining open to questioning and debate.
