Hill Brawl Is Brewing Over Warmer Climate Policy

Long embraced by some conservative politicos as the most pragmatic of approaches to global warming, adaptation policy may still prove to be a difficult fight in Congress.

The House Science Committee's hearing today follows the release of a U.N. report by scientists that painted an apocalyptic portrait of what global warming has in store: wetter wet regions, drier dry regions, bleached coral reefs, and drowned coastal cities among them. The report could lead policymakers to consider how societies must cope--a topic that many environmentalists have avoided for fear that it would shift focus away from fixing the problem, e.g. slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

Many Republicans who considered themselves pragmatists on the issue have believed adapting to changes in the system would be less costly and far more successful than reining in a worldwide economy based on fossil-fuel consumption. But in today's hearing, statements by House Republicans showed that a brawl over adaptation policy is brewing as well.

While saying "adaptation will be important" to future strategies, ranking member Ralph Hall, a Texas Republican, criticized the findings of the report as having "even more uncertainty" than those of a February report that assessed the science of global warming. Hall said of the panel of scientists before him that "they cannot answer the policy issues" posed by their report. And in a departure from his prepared remarks, Hall issued an attack on some environmentalists, saying there's a coordinated effort by a minority of green groups "to declare war on energy."

In the debate over climate change, Hall cautioned, "Let us not be ridiculous about our energy [policy] simply to give some politician or some editor a plaque for his wall." For his part, Chairman Bart Gordon, a Tennessee Democrat, like many in his party straddled the line between continued urging for mitigation of climate change and the need to adapt to changes already built into the system.

"We must start to adapt because the climate is changing and will continue to change even if we reduce emissions tomorrow," Gordon said. "But adaptation alone isn't enough."

By Bret Schulte