Climate change showdown coming to the Senate Thursday

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday will hold the first big congressional climate change hearing since President Obama unveiled his global warming plan in late June.

Below is the witness list for the hearing titled “Climate Change: It’s Happening Now.”

Dr. Heidi Cullen, chief climatologist, Climate Central

Mr. Frank Nutter, president, Reinsurance Association of America

Mr. KC Golden, policy director, Climate Solutions

Dr. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, senior fellow, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

Dr. Robert P. Murphy, senior economist, Institute for Energy Research

Dr. Jennifer Francis, research professor, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University

Dr. Scott C. Doney, director, Ocean and Climate Change Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Dr. Margaret Leinen, executive director, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University

Dr. Roger Pielke, Jr., professor, Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Colorado

Dr. Roy Spencer, Principal Research Scientist, University of Alabama, Huntsville

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/310973-climate-change-showdown-takes-shape#ixzz2ZDgntKA6

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Mark Bofill
July 16, 2013 9:50 am

Good luck Dr. Spencer. I hope at least some of the committee members hear what you’ve got to say.

Richard G
July 16, 2013 9:53 am

“Dr. Scott C. Doney, director, Ocean and Climate Change Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution”
Not too much bias in that institutional name, eh?
Reminds me of a Monty Python sketch:
Patron: What’s on the menu?
Waitress: Climate change, climate change, climate change, climate change, baked beans, and climate change. That’s not got MUCH climate change in it!
Patron: But I don’t like spam!

July 16, 2013 10:02 am

The really telling name on the list is Mr. Frank Nutter because of his position as President of the ReInsurance Association of America. Few groups or businesses have stood to benefit more and been active in promoting and exploiting the doomsday scenarios of global warming and climate change promoted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Since the IPCC views are also the official position and policies of the US government, especially the present Executive branch, he is likely participating at the hearing to push for even more profit through fear. It cannot be about understanding the science.
Here is an article I wrote with Tom Harris very recently on the role of the Re-insurance industry in promoting and benefitting from false science.
http://pjmedia.com/blog/crony-environmentalism-insurance-firms-exploit-climate-fears-to-raise-rates/?singlepage=true

Chad Wozniak
July 16, 2013 10:11 am

Let’s hope Senators James Inhofe (R-OK) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) attend this meeting. I’m sending messages to both of them/

Joseph Bastardi
July 16, 2013 10:11 am

What I wouldn’t give to be in there.. You want cat 5, I’ll give it to you

Eliza
July 16, 2013 10:15 am

I think DR Spencer was added later due to complaints re too many alarmist. It appears more balanced now at least

Eliza
July 16, 2013 10:17 am

I hope Dr Spencer shows them his “Epic Fail” comparing ALL models versus ACTUAL RSS and UAH satellite temperatures graph. LOL

July 16, 2013 10:27 am

Eliza, yup, it’s in my written testimony, already submitted.

R. de Haan
July 16, 2013 10:29 am

Just for the record, Bastardi on EPA: http://patriotpost.us/opinion/19138

Chad Wozniak
July 16, 2013 11:32 am

R. de Haan –
Yes, an extremely important, extremely well said piece by Joe Bastardi.
Joe Bastardi –
I’ve forwarded the link to your article to Senators James Inhofe (R-OK) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) and have requested that they attend Thursday’s meeting.

michael hart
July 16, 2013 11:33 am

Tim Ball says:
July 16, 2013 at 10:02 am
“The really telling name on the list is Mr. Frank Nutter because of his position as President of the ReInsurance Association of America.”

The insurance industry is never happier than when selling you a policy they don’t believe they will ever have to pay-out on. Especially if you have no choice about whether to buy the insurance…

Pete Brown
July 16, 2013 11:34 am

@Russell Cook
“As Franklin Nutter says — he’s the President of the Reinsurance Assn. of America: “The insurance business is first in line to be affected by climate change. Global warming could bankrupt the industry.”
He means ‘second in line’ surely. I mean after the people making the actual claims!!

Chad Wozniak
July 16, 2013 11:36 am

@Eliza –
They damn well ought to add Joe Bastardi to the list too. Let those alarmists try to shout him down! As far as that goes, too bad Anthony can’t be there as well, or Dr. William Happer, or Steve McIntyre. All of them could tear those people a new sphincter.

Chad Wozniak
July 16, 2013 11:46 am

Mr. Nutter’s comments about bankrupting the insurance industry are a bit disingenuous, considering that insurance companies are in the business of not doing what they have contracted to do. /sarc

Bert
July 16, 2013 11:55 am

Dr. Spencer will be facing the Environmental Industrial Complex.
Good Luck!

Skiphil
July 16, 2013 11:55 am

For people wondering at the lack of balance, note that this committee is chaired by the virulent Barbara Boxer since Democrats are in the majority in the US Senate. We will get the hearings that Barbara Boxer wants us to get. Vitter and Inhofe get some input, but Boxer runs the show.
Members – Home
Senate Majority Committee Members
Barbara Boxer (Chairman)
Max Baucus
Thomas R. Carper
Benjamin L. Cardin
Bernard Sanders
Sheldon Whitehouse
Tom Udall
Jeff Merkley
Kirsten Gillibrand
Mazie K. Hirono
Senate Minority Committee Members
David Vitter
James M. Inhofe
John Barrasso
Jeff Sessions
Mike Crapo
Roger F. Wicker
John Boozman
Deb Fischer

Latitude
July 16, 2013 11:56 am

“Climate Change: It’s Happening Now.”
..well, let’s just load the dice right up front why don’t we

eugene watson
July 16, 2013 12:09 pm

Hey Meeus – ever hear of CAGW? That’s what you missed.

Jean Parisot
July 16, 2013 12:26 pm

Emailing good questions to ask of the panel to one of the junior Republican Senators might be a good idea, you’ll have to provide the reference framework to support the question. Remember the staffers will have little, if any scientific background.

TomRude
July 16, 2013 12:27 pm

Jennifer Francis is there… LOL This one is such an ignoramus of meteorology and climatology and her theory is so absurd!

James Watson
July 16, 2013 12:29 pm
July 16, 2013 12:47 pm

Dr Spencer, I’m a bit worried about you being “somehow” left off the list. Just so long as they don’t use that excuse to “somehow” forget to call you forward. Maybe I’m being paranoid, or maybe I’ve just plain seen too many down and dirty tricks played by the other side. Good luck with it all.

george e. smith
July 16, 2013 12:47 pm

“””””””…….Below is the witness list for the hearing titled “Climate Change: It’s Happening Now.”…..”””””
No kidding !! ??
Now when was the last peer reviewed historical episode of climate NOT CHANGING ??

Chad Wozniak
July 16, 2013 12:56 pm

Let’s hope Eva Braun – uh, Barbara Boxer – can’t shut up the skeptics entirely. La Fanatica Tiranica can be expected to try hard, however. She is not one to tolerate opposing viewpoints on any subject.
Someone should tap Boxer on the shoulder and remind her, as a Jewish person, of the parallels between her idol the Fuehrer’s administration and the early days of Nazi rule in Germany.

Jimbo
July 16, 2013 12:58 pm

eugene watson says:
July 16, 2013 at 8:46 am
The reason the warmist nuts changed from “global warming” to “climate change” is that now, instead of being woefully wrong, they can always be right.

There is a Nutter on the panel after all. 🙂

………Mr. Frank Nutter, president, Reinsurance Association of America…….