State climate change study may go begging for scientists

LINCOLN — Nebraska may be poised to conduct a climate change study that its own scientists don’t want to be associated with.

The state’s drought and climate task force wrestled Wednesday with the awkward job of developing a study on the impact of climate change in Nebraska but possibly excluding the role of humans in changing the climate.

The study is to be completed next year and cost no more than $44,000.

The Legislature approved the study this year and handed the task to Nebraska’s already-existing Climate Assessment and Response Committee, a governor-appointed group that mostly advises the state on drought issues.

The sticking point in Wednesday’s discussion, beyond the lack of money and time for the study, was what the Legislature meant when it voted to limit the study to “cyclical” climate change.

State climate change study may go begging for scientists – Omaha.com

I went ahead and completed the work for them. It took about 12 seconds to identify a cyclical climate pattern in Nebraska.

Climate at a Glance | Time Series