Following some preliminary skirmishing at the House Science, Space and Technology’s hearing June 22 on the proposal to create a Climate Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the real partsian ‘conservative’ objection to the NOAA reorganization was evident: flat-out denial of the validity and importance of climate science and the need to incorporate climate change into societal decision-making.
Despite Dr. Lubchenco’s assurance that the reorganization within NOAA to create the Climate Service will increase efficiency in responding to growing demands for climate data, help communities and businesses adapt to climate change, and consolidate the NOAA’s existing climate activities, Republicans on the committee launched a three-pronged attack on the proposal. They maintained that NOAA has been uncooperative and irresponsible in its proposal for reorganization thus far, and that the change will negatively impact existing research programs.
While Democrats, especially ranking member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) offered insightful questions and support, climate science denialist sentiments dominated. The GOP seems determined to prevent a reorganization that will produce, as Congressman Broun (R – Georgia) termed it, “a propaganda office” with no goals “other than political advocacy.”
Read the complete story from Climate Science Watch.