Press Releases

Citing a flurry of inaccuracies and misleading statements at a recent hearing on climate science, Vice Ranking Member on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) this week submitted a collection of scientific rebuttals to false or misleading statements made in that hearing. The rebuttals were written by scientists and experts who observed the hearing, including Harvard professor and “Merchants of Doubt” author Naomi Oreskes. Their commentary will be added to the record of that hearing.

“Republicans on the House Science Committee would like to create doubt and confusion on climate change rather than contemplate solutions, but we cannot allow them to succeed,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Republicans on the Committee pack hearings with climate skeptics to dispute facts long accepted as sound science. This project gives scientists and others who are not invited to speak the chance to support their colleagues like Dr. Mann with scientific fact.”

Though the overwhelming majority of scientists around the world agree that climate is changing and that humans are a cause of that change, Science Committee hearings routinely feature a panel dominated by climate skeptics.

Vice Ranking Member Beyer set up a webform to collect submissions of fact checks from scientists and credentialed observers to correct the record on future hearings. Participants are also encouraged to fact check the hearings live using #FactCheckSST.

Beyer also sent a letter containing a sample of the corrections to the record of the March 29 hearing, titled “Climate Science: Assumptions, Policy Implications, and the Scientific Method,” to Chairman Lamar Smith. That letter is available here.

###