Climate Change and Congress: A New Wind in the Senate
Dr. Matt Auer and doctoral candidate Michael Cox
from the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs

November 9, 2006

In the House of Representatives, climate change science remains akin to witchcraft. But views are changing in the Senate, evidenced by recent legislative activity as well as stepped-up speech-making. We'll explore the drivers of Senators' changing perceptions. Plausible drivers are high fuel prices and crisis events like Katrina. Other plausiable variables include scientific evidence commissioned by Congress from legislative research bodies like the Congressional Research Service. Another possibility are changes in the substance of testimony provided to Senators during Congressional hearings. We will consider how these different forces might lead to future legislative outcomes.

Professor Auer's research focuses on comparative industrial environmental politics, international forest policy, and the politics of foreign aid. Professor Auer recently completed an examination of the accomplishments and shortcomings of 15 years of environmental policy reforms in Central and Eastern Europe. Currently, he is assisting the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of State on new initiatives for global-scale sustainable forest management. That work includes devising a system for monitoring, assessing and reporting on progress achieved by countries in implementing soft law obligations to promote sustainable forest management and conservation. Professor Auer teaches international and comparative environmental policy and public policy at SPEA. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1996.

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