Kennedy: you describe yourself on your website as a globally recognized thought leader, is that correct?
Witness: Yes, sir.
Kennedy: Okay. And, um, you give paid speeches, do you, on occasion?
Witness: I do. You have your own agent, I believe, according to your website, Lee Bureau.
Kennedy: This is correct. And how much do you charge per speech?
Witness: It varies depending on the audience, the amount of preparation work that goes, and the amount of follow-through.
Kennedy: The last paid speech you gave, how much did you receive?
Witness: Uh, I would be happy to follow up on…
Kennedy: You don’t remember?
Witness: I do not.
Kennedy: You keep the money, don’t you? You don’t give that money to Tulane?
Witness: I do not.
Kennedy: You keep it.
Witness: Yes, this is outside of my capacity as a professor, right? As is, Senator.
Kennedy: You’ve recently sent a letter, um, you recently joined a lot of other academics. You signed a letter demanding that elite institutions and universities stop accepting money from fossil fuel companies. Is that correct?
Witness: This is correct.
Kennedy: You consider Tulane an elite university?
Witness: I would like to think that we have a high standard of excellence in our education and our research.
why don’t you ask Tulane to give $25M back?
Kennedy: the Murphy family of Murphy Oil and the Deming family of Murphy Oil have recently given Tulane $25 million. Do you think… Have you called on Tulane to give that money back?
Witness: Well, it’s, uh, not… They didn’t give that money to my unit or the department or school that I have.
Kennedy: Have you called on Tulane to give that money back, or do you think that’s okay for them to keep it?
Witness: It’s their prerogative, not mine.
Kennedy: But yet you just signed a letter saying that all elite universities should refuse fossil fuel money. Did you put a footnote in there and say, “except my own”?
Witness: Well, what I’d like to say, Senator, is that I believe it raises a conflict of interest for those that research climate change that are supported by the fossil fuel…
Kennedy: Yeah, but then why don’t you ask Tulane to give the $25 million dollars back?
Witness: Well, I think in the context, if that money were to be used to support climate research, information, disinformation, or whatever it may be, then that may be an appropriate conflict of interest. But I think in the context…
Kennedy: You don’t see the hypocrisy here?
Witness: It is hypocrisy, and those that may read and interpret it as such…
Kennedy: Maybe it’s like Washington. If there weren’t double standards, there wouldn’t be standards at all.
Q: You don’t see the hypocrisy here?
Kennedy: Let me ask you this. You also participated in another article here, uh, calling, criticizing Houston for building new buildings and McMansions. And you said… I’m gonna read your quote, I don’t want to misquote you, Professor. “That means we have to change our consumer preferences. You could have a super-efficient, energy-efficient mega-mansion in Houston or the suburbs, but it’s still a mansion. You’re still over-consuming space.” Did you say that?
Witness: Yes, sir. That’s based on work as a member of the IPCC. Our research suggested that reducing our footprint in terms of total spatial footprint would have significant impacts in the decarbonization of the built environment.
Kennedy: So you’re saying people should live in smaller houses because larger houses contribute to CO2 emissions?
Witness: 100%, Senator.
Kennedy: Okay. Well, recently, Tulane finished the Commons, it was 77,000 square feet, $55 million. Recently, Tulane finished the Goldring/Woldenberg Business Complex, $35 million to complete, 92,000 square feet. Well, that’s a McMansion. Turchin Stadium, 23,000 square feet. Paul Hall, 36,000 square feet. Richardson Hall, 50,000 square feet. Housing Redevelopment Phase One, 230,000 square feet. At Tulane, have you called upon Tulane to stop these buildings, sir?
Witness: The habitable space within those units is roughly the size of the conference room back there, and, indeed, quite…
Kennedy: But they contribute to CO2 emissions.
Witness: Everything that we do, the Commons contribute more to climate change than a mansion in Houston.
Kennedy: You were pretty quick to criticize the people of Houston for wanting to build, uh, you thought McMansions, but you don’t criticize your own university.
Witness: I don’t find that to be an equivocal comparison between space meant for students who must reside at a university.
Kennedy: You don’t see the hypocrisy in that?
Witness: It is your finding and interpretation, Senator,
Kennedy: but you don’t see the irony of the hypocrisy.
Witness: I’m gonna go ahead and say no.
Kennedy: Okay. I kind of gathered that would be your answer.
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Kennedy: You don’t see the hypocrisy here? why don’t you ask …? A: their prerogative, not mine