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  • -Climate change is one of the biggest issues

  • facing our country today,

  • yet people still deny its existence.

  • Well, we here at "Late Night" think that seeing is believing,

  • which is why we have developed, at a great cost,

  • a virtual-reality environment

  • that simulates the dangers of extreme weather.

  • And here to walk us through it is our resident meteorologist

  • Chip Friedland, everyone.

  • [ Cheers and applause ]

  • -Hey. -Hey.

  • -Thanks for joining me, Seth.

  • -Wow, this is really cool, man.

  • -Hey, let's take a look at our first virtual environment.

  • -Alright. Oh, wow. Wow.

  • This is amazing. -Yeah.

  • So, this is a beautiful, picturesque town

  • that, unfortunately, lies in the floodplain.

  • So, what would happen during a storm surge?

  • -Oh, wow. -Yeah.

  • An average hurricane can produce a storm surge

  • of 1 to 3 feet,

  • but the storms we've seen lately

  • can bring a surge between 6 to 10 feet.

  • -Wow, that is terrifying. -Yeah.

  • -Oh, my God, my house! [ Laughter ]

  • -And -- And I'm sorry, Chip. Who is that?

  • -We animate people into our simulations

  • to make them as realistic as possible.

  • -Okay. [ Light laughter ]

  • -Now, watch what happens when that storm surge rises.

  • -Oh, wow. [ Horn honks ]

  • -My car! Oh, no! [ Laughter ]

  • I've had that car since college!

  • I took Sheila on our first date in that car.

  • -Okay. So, wow, these are really, like, specific details.

  • [ Laughter ] -Oh, Sheila.

  • The longtime love of my life and the one that got away!

  • I haven't loved since. -And I'm sorry.

  • Is there a reason he has such a thorough backstory?

  • [ Light laughter ]

  • -It's virtual reality, Seth. -Okay.

  • -Anyway, let's take a look at another scenario.

  • -Great. Sounds exciting.

  • -Alright. Here we are.

  • A lush, idyllic forest full of life.

  • Unfortunately, all these trees and dry vegetation

  • increase fire danger.

  • A simple spark like that

  • can start an enormous and destructive forest fire.

  • -Wow, so a forest fire can start that quickly?

  • -Sadly, it's true in an environment like this.

  • -Wow. -Yeah.

  • -Oh, my God! My house!

  • -So, that sounds like the same guy from the flood.

  • [ Laughter ] -And only a year

  • after my old house washed away in a flood!

  • [ Laughter ] I bought this one specifically

  • because it was above the floodplain.

  • -Okay. So it's definitely the same guy.

  • -I'm going to go in there and save my stuff.

  • Aw, who am I kidding?

  • I'm such a coward. [ Laughter ]

  • I guess that's why Sheila left me.

  • [ Laughter ]

  • -So, this all seems very Sheila-heavy.

  • -I've never had the guts to protect what's mine.

  • I should have gone on that trip

  • to the Catskills with her and her friends.

  • That's where she met that barista, Bryan.

  • I pushed her away.

  • And into his arms! [ Laughter ]

  • -So, we gave you a lot of money to build this simulation,

  • and I don't think it's about climate change at all.

  • -It always is and always has been about climate change, Seth.

  • To illustrate that, let's go back in time,

  • to 79 A.D. in the city of Pompeii,

  • just moments before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

  • [ Bell tolling ] -Interesting.

  • So you're saying Pompeii was also an example

  • of a climate disaster. I'm very exci--

  • -Whew! -Oh, really?

  • -I'm so glad to be going to my new home

  • at the Cape of Mount Vesuvius.

  • -Uh-huh. -And just a year after

  • I lost my two houses... -What?

  • -...in a flood and a fire, respectively.

  • -Wait. Two years -- what's the timeline here?

  • -Natural disasters can strike at any time, Seth.

  • -Yeah, but still, this is in the past...

  • -Whoa, wait, what's going on? -...and that happened...

  • -Uh-huh.

  • [ Rumbling ]

  • -Okay.

  • -Oh, my God! -Yeah.

  • -My house!

  • [ Chiming ]

  • -Wait. He has a phone? [ Laughter ]

  • -Ohh! And according to Instagram,

  • Sheila and Bryan just moved in together and got a dog,

  • so it must be pretty serious.

  • -Alright, Chip. I need you to admit

  • this was a gigantic waste of time and money.

  • -The only thing we're wasting

  • are the planet's precious resources in places like this.

  • -Oh, another one? Great. -Mm-hmm.

  • -A tropical paradise in the Marquesas Islands.

  • -Uh-huh. -Now, what would you expect

  • to see on a remote island like this?

  • -I got to be honest --

  • I'm expecting to see that dude again, Chip.

  • [ Laughter ] -Gosh, just what I needed...

  • -Yeah, there he is. Alright. Great.

  • -...a relaxing day after a rough 3 1/4 years.

  • -3 1/4? Alright, look. You know what?

  • At least I'm happy the guy got a happy ending.

  • -Yeah. -Pat, is that you?

  • -Oh, my God. -Sheila?

  • [ Light laughter ] Oh, my gosh.

  • What are you doing here?

  • -I'm on vacation.

  • It's good to see you. -Yeah. Definitely.

  • So, how are things with Bryan?

  • -We split up, actually. -Wow.

  • I had no idea. I'm sorry.

  • -It's okay.

  • It was for the best.

  • -Oh. [ Laughter ]

  • Well, you know, it's funny --

  • I've -- I've done a lot of thinking

  • and I just wanted to say, I miss you.

  • -Hey, babe. Guy says the Jet Skis are ready.

  • [ Audience oohs ] -Oh, Pat. This is Tyler.

  • -What? This is Pat? The Pat?

  • [ Chuckling ] Oh, man.

  • Heard about those houses.

  • Rough break, bro.

  • And you were in Pompeii, too?

  • Hey, what's the timeline there? [ Light laughter ]

  • -Leave him alone, Tyler. -[ Chuckles ] Sorry.

  • -So...you guys are dating.

  • -Actually, we just got engaged.

  • -[ Chuckles ]

  • -Wow. That's great.

  • Congrats.

  • Engaged. [ Chuckles ]

  • -Thanks.

  • Anyway, the guy said the Jet Skis are ready, so...

  • -Race you there, slowpoke.

  • -[ Laughs ] You're such an ass...

  • [ Laughter ]

  • -See, Seth, climate change ruined that man's life.

  • -You're an ass... [ Light laughter ]

  • And at least it can't get any worse for that dude.

  • -[ Sighs ] Wait for it. -Wait for what?

  • Oh, come on.

  • -Whoa! [ Laughter ]

  • Whoa-ohhhh!

  • -I really feel like you wasted our time today.

  • -Well, I really feel like you sound like my ex, Sheila.

  • -Oh, there it is! -There it is! There it is!

  • -We'll be right back with more "Late Night."

  • There it is. [ Cheers and applause ]

-Climate change is one of the biggest issues

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