The issue focused on the lack of a public debate and discussion among scientists over climate change policy and the scientific community's assessment of the risks it poses, said the report, by the U.S. National Research Council, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. The report also included an assessment of the impact of recent research findings on scientific understanding of climate, and how climate science impacts climate policy.

The findings from the review are consistent with