RESOUR> [NetGold] ENVIRONMENT: GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE: The Science Behind Global Warming

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Net Happenings - From Educational CyberPlayGround
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Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 12:54:26 -0500 (EST)
From: David P. Dillard <jwne@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: NetGold <NetGold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [NetGold] ENVIRONMENT: GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE: The
    Science Behind Global Warming

ENVIRONMENT: GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE: The Science Behind Global
Warming

This Senate Hearing has recently been announced as available fulltext on
the internet.

The Science Behind Global Warming
<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?
dbname=106_senate_hearings&docid=f:81375.wais>

A shorter link for the above URL:

<http://snurl.com/2xaa>

<DOC>
[106 Senate Hearings]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access]
[DOCID: f:81375.wais]

                                                       S. Hrg. 106-1115

                   THE SCIENCE BEHIND GLOBAL WARMING

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               before the

                         COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
                      SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                       ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                              MAY 17, 2000

                               __________

    Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
                             Transportation

81-375              U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
                            WASHINGTON : 2003

C O N T E N T S

                              ----------
                                                                   Page
Hearing held on May 17, 2000.....................................     1
Statement of Senator Brownback...................................    25
    Prepared statement...........................................    28
Prepared statement of Senator Hollings...........................     3
Statement of Senator Kerry.......................................    20
Statement of Senator McCain......................................     1
Prepared statement of Senator Snowe..............................     4

                               Witnesses

Bradley, Dr. Ray, Department Chair, Department of Geosciences,
  University of Massachusetts....................................    29
    Prepared statement...........................................    32
Christy, Dr. John R., Director, Earth System Science Center,
  University of Alabama..........................................    36
    Prepared statement...........................................    38
Lane, Dr. Neal, Assistant to the President for Science and
  Technology, Office of Science and Technology Policy............     4
    Prepared statement...........................................     7
Mahlman, Dr. Jerry, Director, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
  Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration....    42
    Prepared statement...........................................    45
Trenberth, Dr. Kevin E., Director, Climate Analysis Section,
  National Center for Atmospheric Research.......................    47
    Prepared statement...........................................    49
Watson, Dr. Robert, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
  Change.........................................................    54
    Prepared statement...........................................    56

                                Appendix

Response to written questions submitted by Hon. John McCain to:
    Dr. John R. Christy..........................................    88
    Dr. Neal Lane................................................    89
    Dr. Jerry Mahlman............................................    92
    Dr. Kevin E. Trenberth.......................................    95
    Dr. Robert Watson............................................    98
Mahlman, Dr. Jerry, Director, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
  Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
  Science Magazine Article.......................................    85


                   THE SCIENCE BEHIND GLOBAL WARMING

                              ----------


                        WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2000

                                       U.S. Senate,
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:31 a.m., in
room SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. John McCain,
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN McCAIN,
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA

    The Chairman. Good morning. We meet today to examine the
issues surrounding global warming. This subject continues to be
an issue of great importance to the environment and the
economic future of the country.

    To better prepare ourselves to objectively evaluate future
legislative policy, the Committee will explore three issues:
One, the underlying science behind global warming; two, exactly
where we are in our research efforts; and, three, what does it
all mean.

    For many years, scientists have been warning us about the
greenhouse effect caused by man-made emissions of carbon
dioxide and other gases, and the far reaching environmental
consequences which could result if the problem is not properly
addressed.

    A large amount of evidence has been presented to suggest
that this phenomena is real and is due to the activity of man.
However, there also has been evidence presented to contradict
this conclusion.

    Earlier this year, the National Research Council concluded
that the warming trend during the past 20 years is real, and is
substantially greater than the average temperature of warming
during the 20th Century. The report also identified a
substantial disparity between satellite data trends and surface
temperature trends as well.

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change also has
issued a draft of its third assessment report which will, in
all likelihood, suggests a warming trend when its final version
is released early next year. These two reports, in addition to
hundreds of other studies, outline the need for a more firm
understanding of and scientific consensus on global warming.

    I would like to offer one brief example of global warming's
potential harm. According to the United Nations Environment
Program, the global average sea level has risen by 10 to 25
centimeters over the past 100 years. It is likely that much of
the rise is related to an increase in the lower atmosphere's
global average temperature since 1860.

    Scientific models further project a rise in sea levels of a
foot and a half by the year 2100. This projected rise is two to
five times faster than the rise experienced over the past
century. The impact of such movement on our coastal communities
and businesses, such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism, is
unknown, but the consequences could be serious considering that
half of the U.S. population lives in the coastal communities.

    We look forward to hearing more about the outlined reports
and potential scenarios from our witnesses today, along with
the new findings from the government's research efforts.

    Most importantly, any actions the United States takes in
response to claims of global warming must be based on the best
science available and not on rhetoric or political expedience.
We must continue to invest in our research capabilities to
fully understand the scientific interactions between humans,
the land, the ocean, and the atmosphere.

    Testimony presented here today will serve as a valuable
insight for this Committee. We hope to establish a baseline for
the Committee on the current state of knowledge on the subject
of global warming. And I welcome all of our witnesses who are
here today.

    Before I ask Dr. Neal Lane, who is the Assistant to the
President for Science and Technology of the Office of Science
and Technology Policy, to begin his statement, I would like to
make one additional comment.

    One of the great things about the requirements of the
electoral process is extensive interaction with the citizenry.
I just finished an unsuccessful, but very enlightening,
adventure in that area.

    In town hall meeting after town hall meeting after town
hall meeting, of which I had hundreds, young Americans stood up
and said, ``Senator McCain, what is your position on global
warming?'' There is a group of Americans who now come to
political rallies with signs that say, ``What is your plan?''
``What is your plan,'' is the question that is asked.

    I do not have a plan. I am sorry to say that I do not have
a plan because I do not have, nor do the American people have,
sufficient information and knowledge. But I do believe that
Americans and we who are policymakers in all branches of
government, should be concerned about mounting evidence that
indicates that something is happening.

    I do not pretend to have the expertise and knowledge on
this very important and very controversial issue, but I do
intend, beginning with this hearing and follow-on hearings, to
become informed, to reach some conclusions, and make some
recommendations, or make some non-recommendations depending on
the information that I receive.

    I believe that it is of the utmost importance that we
examine this issue thoroughly, and I am dedicated to that
proposition. And I am very grateful that we have such a very
well informed group of Americans who will appear before us
today.

The full hearing may be read at the URL above.


Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
jwne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NetGold/>
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/davidd.html>
<http://www.kovacs.com/medref-l/medref-l.html>


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