John Hanger

Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Hanger sought to distinguish himself from a crowded primary field last month by calling for the decriminialization of medical marijuana and small amounts of marijuana during a news conference in the state Capitol.

(Robert Vickers)

* EDITORS NOTE: This report has been updated to clarify Patrick Henderson's climate change position and to correctly identify StateImpact Pennsylvania as the source of the initial report.

An online refutation of climate change by a high ranking energy advisor to Gov. Tom Corbett has provoked 2014 Democratic gubernatorial challenger John Hanger to demand an apology.

Corbett Energy Executive Patrick Henderson responded to an online report by seeking to discredit the scholarly work of distinguished Penn State meteorology professor Michael Mann.

A subsequent report from StateImpact Pennsylvania - a collaborative effort between Harrisburg's WITF and Philadelphia's WHYY - cites Henderson referring to Mann Friday as a "climate changer," adding later that climate change is "NOT a complex issue upon which reasonable, studious individuals may still be searching for a consensus."

However, Henderson said the StateImpact report mischaracterized his belief that climate change is a complex issue.

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Individuals can point to a whole host of data out of context – on both sides of the issue (as evidenced by the intro to my post) – to try and substantiate their argument and suggest that the other side of the argument be ignored and tuned out," he said by email Tuesday.

"The point of the post is that such an approach is unhealthy – that in fact reasonable, studious individuals may still be searching for a consensus and that data and information constantly is informing this debate," Henderson added. "And that it is troubling when the public discourse on the issue becomes so polarized that it has a chilling effect on people of good will being able to stand up and discuss this issue intelligently."

But Hanger, a former state environmental protection secretary, reacted angrily Monday to Henderson's assertions.

“Now the administration goes out of its way to defame Professor Mann, who is one of the world's leading climate scientists and who has been targeted by leading right-wing political figures like Virginia Attorney General Cuccinelli,” Hanger said in a statement.

“Patrick Henderson should apologize to Professor Mann, as Professor Mann has demanded,” he added. “But then Gov. Corbett should make it clear that he will no longer facilitate the attacks on Penn State University and its great faculty by firing Patrick Henderson.”

The Corbett re-election campaign did not respond.

The Henderson flap comes just before Corbett's new environmental protection secretary nominee Chris Abruzzo is scheduled to be confirmed by the state Senate Tuesday.

Abruzzo sparked controversy last week at a Senate Judiciary Committee, when he was asked if he believed climate change was real.

“I have not read any scientific studies that would lead me to conclude that there are adverse impacts to human beings or to animals or to plant life at this small level of climate change,” he said.

Henderson's remakrs also set the stage for a contentious House Democratic Policy Committee hearing – scheduled for Dec. 16 – titled “What should Pennsylvania be doing to address climate change?”