Two influential House Democrats are urging the Energy and Commerce Committee to hold a hearing on climate change science after a prominent skeptic involved in a recent study changed his tune.
In a letter to Republican Chairmen, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, cited an opinion piece that appeared in the Wall Street Journal last week written by UC Berkeley Professor Richard A. Muller.
The article details the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Project, which was aimed at determining change in surface temperature across 39,000 different monitoring stations. Muller, who chaired the project, explained that previous studies left enough questions to leave on skeptical. However, following the Temperature Project, the professor concluded that climate change is occurring.
“Global warming is real,” Muller wrote. “How much of the warming is due to humans and what will be the likely effects? We made no independent assessment of that.”
The Democrats’ letter states that Muller’s conclusion holds considerable weight considering the makeup of the panel.
“More than half the members of the Comminee reject the scientific finding that climate change is occurring,” the lawmakers say. “Such a hearing would help members understand the urgent need for action and the serious consequences of inaction.”