Climate Change Hearings

Taking place this morning. The following witnesses are testifying:

Panel I
Mr. Philip Cooney, former Chief of Staff, White House Council on Environmental Quality
Dr. James Hansen, Director, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mr. George Deutsch, former public affairs officer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Panel II
Mr. James Connaughton, Chairman, White House Council on Environmental Quality

Panel III
Dr. Roy Spencer, University of Alabama in Huntsville

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Mr. Cooney justified edits based on the conclusions of the National Academy of Science. I wonder about the National Academy of Science and the people they hire to create and diseminate policy decisions. If that is the organization through which essentially anti-science politicians work - then at least the policy side of the organization may not justify backing up those conclusions.

From the quotes taken from a 2001 National Academy of Science document - it sounded like the report was making claims that people of various persuations could take to heart - and refer to later to back up their claims. Dr. Hansen felt that the report backed up his assertion that global warming was charcterized as being a serious man-induced concern. Someone else (Cooney?) claimed that the document proved that the matter was far from being clear at the time.

One thing that was odd about the questioning - was how the Republicans wanted to portray Dr. Hansen as a partisan Democrat - even though Hansen considers himself to be a Republican. One who is critical of Bush about various issues (esp. global warming denial)- but a Republican, nonetheless. To hear the Republican questioners - they couldn't fathom someone being critical of Bush and being a Republican. sheesh.