In April 2016 he took the global warming debate up to the "put your money where your mouth is" level. He issued two bets, of $10,000 each, with Joe Bastardi, a "climate change contrarian" and frequent critic of Nye. One bet was that "2016 will be in the top 10 of hottest years on record", and that "this current decade will be the warmest ever recorded".<ref>[http://time.com/4301258/bill-nye-sarah-palin-climate-change-bet/ The Bill Nye climate change bet].</ref> Mr. Bastardi has not taken up the offer. Since 2016 has ended, the first bet has ended. Mr. Nye likely would have won—2016 was reported by [[NASA]] and [[NOAA]] to be "the third year in a row to set a new record for global average surface temperatures."<ref>[https://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/news/20170118/ Data from NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies].</ref><ref>[https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201613 Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration].</ref> | In April 2016 he took the global warming debate up to the "put your money where your mouth is" level. He issued two bets, of $10,000 each, with Joe Bastardi, a "climate change contrarian" and frequent critic of Nye. One bet was that "2016 will be in the top 10 of hottest years on record", and that "this current decade will be the warmest ever recorded".<ref>[http://time.com/4301258/bill-nye-sarah-palin-climate-change-bet/ The Bill Nye climate change bet].</ref> Mr. Bastardi has not taken up the offer. Since 2016 has ended, the first bet has ended. Mr. Nye likely would have won—2016 was reported by [[NASA]] and [[NOAA]] to be "the third year in a row to set a new record for global average surface temperatures."<ref>[https://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/news/20170118/ Data from NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies].</ref><ref>[https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201613 Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration].</ref> |