Letter: Not all Republicans oppose climate change solutions

The report on the recent hearing on climate science that appeared in the Tri-City Herald on March 29 too narrowly focused on the contentious nature of it, at the expense of brushing aside more positive aspects.

First, with looming budget cuts, all four scientists who testified in the hearing asked that climate research get adequate funding, no matter which side of the climate change debate they are. But most importantly, Prof R. Pielke, from the University of Colorado, who has been targeted for publishing that the frequency of extreme weather events has not increased in recent decades, advocated for a carbon tax, in addition to bipartisan truce.

Professor M. Mann, from Penn State University, the only “mainstream” climate scientist in the hearing, expressed his gratitude to the Republicans during the Bush era who stood up for him when he was under attack, and also pleaded for the political witch hunt to stop. Moreover, he lauded the handful of Republicans who promote conservative solutions to climate change. In fact, a bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus has already reached 34 members in the House and is expected to grow.

Will our “good faith conservative” congressman hear this plea and join the caucus?

This story was originally published April 16, 2017 at 4:33 AM with the headline "Letter: Not all Republicans oppose climate change solutions."