House Climate Hearings Set for 9/18

CURWOOD: From the Jennifer and Ted Stanley Studios in Boston this is Living on Earth. Im Steve Curwood. Back in June, Barack Obama called on the EPA to begin regulating CO2 emissions from existing power plants, which emit 40 percent of US global warming gases. The executive order came in response to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling and years of climate gridlock in Congress. California Congressman Henry Waxman and other House Democrats have been calling for hearings on the science of climate change ever since Republicans won control of the lower house in 2010. Now leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have summoned representatives of 13 federal agencies for climate change hearings on September 18. You might expect Henry Waxman to be pleased, but he has mixed feelings. WAXMAN: Well, I think the upcoming climate hearings is a positive development, but its not a signal of change of direction in Congress. The Republicans are in control. Theyve denied the science, and they dont want the administration to act, and they certainly dont want Congress to act. Representative Henry Waxman of Californias 33rd district (photo: United States Government) So theyre bringing in people from the different agencies in government who are proposing regulations on their own under existing law which gives them the authority to do it, and I think theyre going to berate them. How can you talk about doing something to limit pollution from coal burning power plants? What authority do you have to do that? Why is the Department of Energy doing something to limit the efficiency of refrigerators? I expect thats what theyre going to do because thats the way theyve acted for the last three or four years. Theyve denied the science. They dont think theres a problem, and they voted over 53 times to say that we shouldnt be doing anything about the climate change issue. CURWOOD: A cynic might say that the Republicans are calling in all these agencies and departments to scrutinize their budgets involving climate with a view towards trying to cut those budgets. WAXMAN: Theyve already proposed cutting those budgets. They proposed cutting the budgets of all the government agencies that do any kind of regulation – also government agencies that do research. But I think they want to show their oil and coal industry constituents that theyre standing up to this administration, and I think were seeing an indication this is just a beginning of an escalating outcry by the Republicans where the government acts on its own under authority of the law to limit carbon and other greenhouse gases that cause climate change. CURWOOD: Now whats the format of these hearings? WAXMAN: Theyve invited a lot of witnesses. I think theyll put them at a table, and each one will get five to ten minutes to make their comments, then well ask questions back and forth – Republicans first, Democrats after that, then back to Republicans. CURWOOD: Who will testify? WAXMAN: I havent heard precisely whos going to testify, but the head of the EPA is Gina McCarthy, Dr. Moniz is the Secretary of Energy, both of course have testified before our committees and subcommittees many times. CURWOOD: Well, how much climate science will be discussed? Both Gina McCarthy and of course formerly Professor Moniz are well versed in the science of climate change. WAXMAN: Well, they are indeed, and we could ask them and probably will, to talk about the science that motivates them to take the actions that theyre taking, but we ought to hear from other researchers, we ought to hear from other scientists. The overwhelming consensus is that not only are we seeing the impact of climate change – which costs us billions and billions of dollars in damage – but that were only seeing the beginning of it because the problem is accelerating and getting much worse than anybody quite imagined, and Republicans wont allow a hearing from the scientists, and that isnt because they havent been asked. Congressman Bobby Rush is the ranking Democratic on the energy subcommittee and I have written over 28 separate letters requesting a hearing, and you know how many answers weve gotten to our letters? None. And so the Republicans are in charge and you wouldnt think there was a problem of climate change if you listen to what they have to say. CURWOOD: Congressman Waxman, what does this say about Americans ability to deal with public policy implications of science if one particular party is not willing to hear what scientists have to say? WAXMAN: In the past, I think people had a reverence for science because its not partisan – its based on evidence, its testing a hypothesis based on realities of what were seeing, what conclusions the evidence points to. But Republicans – some Republicans – have approached science as another point of view as if its part of a political discussion. I think thats a serious mistake. This isnt the only instance where weve seen science denied or distorted. I remember when President George W. Bush was in office, his Department of Health and Human Services put on the web that women who got abortions were more likely to get breast cancer. And we raised a fuss about it asking them what scientific evidence did they have to make such a statement? Of course, they had none. They just made it up because it fit with their ideology. So weve seen a disregard for science on the environmental side, weve seen it on the reproductive rights issues. They think science is something to be used if it fits their ideology, not trying to figure out the best policy based on the evidence and proceeding from there. Senator Moynihan once said, you can have different opinions, but you cant have different facts. And Republicans are trying to make different facts by ignoring the evidence. CURWOOD: So on these climate hearings in front of the House Subcommittee, what do you expect will come out of all of this? WAXMAN: Well, I hope these hearings will be positive. I think its positive because were talking about the climate issue, and I wish it were a signal in the change in direction that Congress – in the House anyway – wants to pursue. But at least well hear from the administration thats made a determination under President Obama to take action, not just to watch the consequences and pretend theyre not real. CURWOOD: Henry Waxmans a Democrat Congressman from Californias 33rd district. Thank you so much, Congressman. WAXMAN: You're welcome. Good to be with you.