Katie Couric's Notebook: Climate Change

The debate over global warming is once again heating up in Washington. 

Roughly half of the newly elected Republican congress members are climate change skeptics, according to one survey, and some want to roll back environmental regulations.

Their position was bolstered by the Climategate scandal, in which a handful of scientists were accused of manipulating data to support climate change. The scientists were later cleared, but the damage was done. Less than 60 percent of Americans now believe in global warming, down from 80 percent in 2006.

Still, the vast majority of scientists -- 97 percent -- say man-made climate change is real. 700 climate experts have joined a media project to educate the public.... and UN talks are underway in Cancun on a treaty to curb greenhouse gases.

Time is ticking. Global warming may have become a political football, but scientists say it's one we can't afford to punt.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.