FEDERALhearing transcript

House Committee Hearing on Technology and Climate Change

Original title: USING TECHNOLOGY TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE

January 1, 2018

climate change technology energy policy science research nuclear energy environmental regulation

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing established the legislative framework and priorities for the House Science Committee regarding climate policy, specifically emphasizing technological solutions over government regulation.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Energy sector companies

The committee's focus on technological solutions like advanced nuclear reactors may influence future federal research funding and regulatory environments for energy producers.

Climate researchers

The committee's questioning of climate modeling assumptions and the IPCC's findings impacts the discourse surrounding federal support for climate science.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2018.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing on May 16, 2018, to discuss how technological innovation can address climate change. The session focused on the role of human ingenuity, the impact of , and the potential for new energy technologies like advanced nuclear reactors.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on May 16, 2018, in the Rayburn House Office Building.
The committee discussed the role of natural climate variability, such as solar cycles and volcanic activity, in climate change.
Chairman Smith argued that technological innovation, such as advanced nuclear reactors, should be prioritized over government regulations or energy taxes.
The committee reviewed the reliability of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios, specifically regarding coal usage assumptions.
Witnesses included representatives from the Manhattan Institute, The Breakthrough Institute, and the Woods Hole Research Center.
Additional materials were submitted for the record, including studies and articles from various experts and committee members.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

The hearing was held to explore how technological advancements can be used to mitigate or solve challenges associated with climate change.

Who testified at the hearing?

The witnesses were Oren Cass (Manhattan Institute), Ted Nordhaus (The Breakthrough Institute), and Dr. Phil Duffy (Woods Hole Research Center).

Why It Matters

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Technological Focus

The committee explicitly prioritized private-sector technological innovation over government-led regulatory frameworks for climate mitigation.

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

Connected Entities

personTed Nordhaus“Executive Director of The Breakthrough Institute, witness”Map →

personLamar S. Smith“Chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology”Map →

organizationCommittee on Science, Space, and Technology“House of Representatives committee conducting the hearing”Map →

personEddie Bernice Johnson“Ranking Member of the Committee”Map →

personPhil Duffy“President and Executive Director of Woods Hole Research Center, witness”Map →

personOren Cass“Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, witness”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy50
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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