New climate study parameters proposed

The duties and parameters used by the state’s climate study group would be changed under two bills heard by the Agriculture Committee Feb. 4.

LB882, introduced by Malcolm Sen. Ken Haar, would direct the Climate Assessment and Response Committee to redefine “cyclical climate change” as information and research that includes all climate influences considered relevant by scientists, including human influence.

LB1008, also introduced by Haar, would require the committee to produce a climate change report derived from reports submitted to it, rather than produce its own report. The final report would be due Dec. 1, 2014.

Both bills stem from LB583, adopted in 2013, which directed the climate committee to present a report to the governor on the impacts of climate change for the state and to facilitate communication between stakeholders to address those impacts and response strategies.

During floor debate, senators had amended LB583 by inserting the word “cyclical” before the phrase “climate change.” Haar said the climate committee then defined the term “cyclical climate change” as meaning “not to include human influence.”

Haar said LB882, which acknowledges all possible climate influences, is intended to eliminate any confusion regarding what information would be presented to the governor.

“If we allow this idea to continue that the report will only include nonhuman influences … that final report in December is going to look pretty stupid,” he said.

Haar said he introduced LB1008 because UNL volunteered to provide a climate study at no charge to the state.

Ken Winston of the Nebraska Sierra Club testified in support of both bills. Studying all elements of climate change makes for more accurate agricultural forecasting, he said.

“Including the human elements of climate change is absolutely vital,” Winston said. “We need to make sure we’re using the best science to make the decisions about which way to go.”

No one testified in opposition to the bills and the committee took no immediate action on LB882 or LB1008.