Researcher Steve Goreham was the guest in the first half. He presented evidence which, he claimed, refutes popular assumptions about climate science and environmental efforts. First, he argued, the warming of the planet due to human activity is exaggerated, and is minor compared to shifts in the Earth's temperature caused by natural phenomena. Therefore, attempts to regulate emissions generated by industry and consumer activity are unrealistic, unnecessary, misguided, and ultimately harmful to the economy and society.
The widespread adoption of all-electric vehicles is one particularly glaring example of the destructive potential of "going green," asserted Goreham. The proposed vehicles are terribly inefficient in their energy consumption, and are significantly heavier than today's cars, which will cause damage to our highways. Mining the metals that go into their batteries would also be inefficient, he added, and would likely be under the control of countries like China. The infrastructure needed for charging the nation's electric vehicles would be insufficient, Goreham said, and so unprofitable that there would be no incentive to develop a car-charging industry.
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Author Varla Ventura joined the show's second half to share a number of the paranormal and unusual stories she's been collecting as research for her books. One of her favorite topics lately has been related to the rise of the 19th-century spiritualist movement, she related. Adherents would commonly gather with the hope of contacting the dead, and especially to hear of any message being transmitted through a medium from the other side. Many present-day supernatural practices, such as the ouija board, the seance, and the ritual role of the channeler, have their roots in this period of spiritualism, she went on.
Ventura also discussed Irish paranormal lore, including the mythical banshee. As far as she knows, she said, banshees are exclusively female, and are a sort of ghost/fairy hybrid. Often they're attached to a specific family line or place. Hearing the wails of a banshee has traditionally meant that someone is about to die, Ventura explained, making them a frightening—though not usually dangerous or evil—entity to encounter.
Ventura herself has had what she called a "grab bag" of paranormal encounters, including the feeling of being in the physical presence of otherworldly spirits. She also sometimes experiences clairaudience, hearing her name being called in different settings.
News Segment guests: Christian Wilde / Kevin Randle