Data or Dogma Testimony before US Senate
On December 8 the US Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness convened a hearing on: Data or Dogma? Promoting Open Inquiry in the Debate over the Magnitude of Human Impact on Earth 's Climate. Speaking for the data were Drs. John Christy, Judith Curry and William Happer, together with journalist Mark Steyn. The only dogma witness was Dr. David Titley. Joanne Nova 's blog has a full 2 ¾-hour video of the hearing, which she says captures why the USA is the best hope for defeating the religious climate meme. Watts Up With That captures one of the livelier exchanges when Dr. Curry, supported by Mr. Steyn, responds to being called a denier by Sen. Markey. A second WUWT clip shows Mr. Steyn rebuking the Democrats for enforcing a state ideology.

In the final WUWT link Tim Ball uses the Senate hearing as an example why formal hearings on climate science have an inherent problem: Politicians and judges are not qualified to determine a science confrontation, where the argument is about your paper vs my paper. Instead, skeptics must show, in terms the public can understand, how their paper was deliberately falsified, whether by incompetence or corruption. In a debate with the leader of the Green Party of Canada, Elizabeth May, Dr. Ball avoided trying to correct her errors. Rather, he used general comments and examples to undermine the credibility of the IPCC and counter the much-quoted 97% scientific consensus on AGW.
[commerce.senate.gov]