| November 3, 2010 |  |
Congress Has Changed: What’s Next on the Climate Front?
Voters were treated to quite a bit of overheated rhetoric about climate change during this campaign season. A number of local, state and federal candidates openly questioned whether it is actually occurring and vehemently denounced government attempts to address it. One campaign commercial featured the candidate firing a bullet through a copy of the cap-and-trade bill that passed the House last year. Other candidates misrepresented the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plans to reduce heat-trapping emissions under the Clean Air Act. And still others went so far to call climate science a “hoax” and “crap.”
Now that the election is over, new members of Congress will be faced with the task of governing. Given the incontrovertible evidence that human activities are radically altering the climate, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) recommends that the incoming 112th Congress set aside the provocative oratory and focus on reality. Harassing climate scientists, confusing the public about the state of climate science, or attempting to block public health-based EPA rules would be counterproductive. Instead, the new Congress should embrace an energy policy that would expand renewable energy production, increase energy efficiency in every sector of the economy, and improve public health by reducing pollution.
“This election changed the political reality in Washington, but it didn’t change the scientific reality of global warming,” said UCS President Kevin Knobloch. “Congress still has a duty to move our country forward on clean energy and climate change. The scientific community stands ready to defend its colleagues against possible attacks from newly empowered members of Congress.”
Party leaders and rank-and-file members could help improve public understanding of climate science by discouraging baseless attacks on climate research and climate scientists. Such harassment wastes scientists’ time, squanders congressional resources, and distracts members from dealing with the consequences of climate change that are already happening. The public would be better served by policymakers who focus on the merits of various energy and climate policy proposals.
UCS has assembled a backgrounder that examines a number of key issues for the new Congress. First we look at likely attempts to undermine the EPA’s ability to protect public health under the Clean Air Act. Next, we identify members of Congress who have expressed “contrarian” views about climate science and who are likely to use their new-found power to attack climate scientists. And then we explore the gap between what scientists understand about climate change and what surveys suggest large segments of the public believe.
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
