The House gave final approval to a bill prohibiting the state to use sea-level rise predictions for coastal planning purposes in a debate that strayed into whether climate change is a scientifically proven phenomenon.
"We are talking about science over and over here," said Rep. Frank Iler, a coastal Republican. "I would submit what we are calling science is not science."
The 68-46 vote followed Senate approval Monday. The bill now goes to Gov. Bev Perdue.
The new language in House Bill 819 removes a proposal to put strict controls on the science of predicting how fast the seas will rise along North Carolina’s coast – a measure that made the state a punch line on late-night comedy shows.
In the new study, the Coastal Resources Commission’s science panel must also consider the economic cost to the state if it prohibits development based on sea-level regulations. The compromise also seeks different predictions for different coastal regions. The final report is due by March 31, 2015. No regulations are allowed to take effect until July 1, 2016.
Comments
A skeptic: Turn it on, turn it off
July 9, 2012 - 3:09pm — jamesstrandquistIf the republican legislature can be a skeptic about global warming, why are they so positive about fracking? I think they have done no research of the data in either case. Just who are you kidding except yourselves? You are such a disappointment.
Bill,Got a link to this
July 6, 2012 - 4:43pm — zachbrougheBill,
Got a link to this supposed statement?
This isn't redstate.com
Your connection to Koch Brothers' "scientists" makes me skeptical about your interpretation of real scientists comments, or anything for that matter.
Being a pawn in the AGW deniers religious war on science is no way to go through life my friend.
Zach
NC SLR bill
July 5, 2012 - 2:29pm — goingcoastalTo be clear, the CRC science panel answered the questions put to it by the DCM in the addendum which is available for public viewing on the DCM website (search for NC Sea level rise report addendum). If you’re interested in the facts then I would ask everyone to take a close look at all of the peer reviewed publications and the links to other states’ sea-level rise reports, which do the same as the NC report, and in some cases are looking to prepare for even higher rates and elevations of sea-level rise (up to 2 meters).
If the NC CRC Science Panel is on the fringe, as NC-20 would have you believe, then that “fringe” includes the vast majority of sea-level and climate researchers, as well as virtually every professional science organization including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union, the European Geophysical Union, the Geological Society of America, and the National Academies of Science and Engineering. It would also include the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Additional members of this “fringe” group include various coastal states such as Maine, Florida, Louisiana, California, and Delaware. Some fringe! In fact, the only state now realistically on the fringe is North Carolina as our legislators have unwisely decided to ignore the science.
The NC-20 should put its money where its mouth is, and offer to pick up the bill for all future coastal issues associated with a sea-level rise in excess of 8 inches. Otherwise, our children and grandchildren will be paying for this.
I doubt very seriously that
July 5, 2012 - 11:03am — tomyknowledgeI doubt very seriously that the ocean follows what is happening in the legislature. From what I have seen over the years it appears that the ocean is arrogant and pretty much follows its own course.
NC SLR Law
July 5, 2012 - 9:27am — BefuddledRegarding Sea Level Rise
NC Lawmakers base Laws on Facts, not Fiction.
CRC’s Scientists have declined to answer questions on their Science Report since Feb,2011.
One CRC Scientist said, in effect, that it was better to be fast and cheap,, than accurate.
NC Lawmakers disagree. They want to be accurate.
Bill Price Pine Knoll Shores