Press Releases :: February 2, 2007

Chairman Comments on IPCC Report - Committee Will Be First to Hear from Authors of Report

The House Committee on Science and Technology will hold Congress’ first formal hearing on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released today.  Several authors of the report will be on hand to discuss their findings with Committee Members next Thursday.

Upon release of the IPCC report today, Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) offered the following comment:

"Expert scientists have provided us with a diagnosis of the problem and a prognosis for our planet’s health.  Now, its time for us – the policymakers – to do our jobs.

"This 4th Assessment Report confirms – with greater certainty than ever before – that the Earth’s climate is changing, the change is underway and will continue throughout our lifetime, and those changes are driven by human activity.

"It’s time to end the debate and act.  The Committee on Science and Technology will do our part by ensuring that science and cutting-edge research continue to provide us the information we need to understand climate change and respond to it.

"This Committee will work to provide our colleagues here in Congress, the Administration and our citizens with a robust scientific enterprise to address this challenge."

Congress’ first hearing on the findings of the IPCC Report will be held Thursday, February 8, 2007 at 10a.m. in 2318 Rayburn.  The hearing is open to the public and it will be webcast on the Committee’s website – http://science.house.gov/

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