"One Last Climate Hearing, Just for the Record..."

"Humorous. Tragic. Entertaining. Tense. Terrifying. Downright goofy. The Democrats' final climate hearing on the House Science Committee Wednesday was all of the above.

It was a lively affair by Capitol Hill standards, with excursions into temperature records, cloud physics and computer modelling. Prominently featured was the top of Pennsylvania State University geoscientistRichard Alley's nodding head (denoting the North Pole in demonstrations of how axial tilt affects long-term climate). It was a throwback to days gone by, a time when the science itself was under dispute and not what to do about it. Most importantly, it was also a gentle preview of things to come, a kind of practice run for climate scientists who will soon face a much more hostile audience when Republicans take over the US House of Representatives."

Jeff Tollefson reports for Nature's The Great Beyond blog November 17, 2010.

SEE ALSO:

"'Rational Discussion of Climate' on Capitol Hill?" (Dot Earth)

"Outgoing Rep. Inglis Blasts GOP Skepticism on Global Warming" (ClimateWire)

"Climate Skeptic in Line To Take Over House Science Committee" (Politico)