The science, presented by climate scientist Jim Salinger, came under fire from three members of the audience, who labelled it corrupt, based on "shonky evidence" and disputed by a majority of climate scientists.
Dr Salinger, financial and business journalist Rod Oram and Lincoln University's Prof Caroline Saunders have made 26 presentations in New Zealand in recent months, with another 11 planned.
However, Mr Oram and Prof Saunders could not be at Monday's symposium in the Oamaru Opera House, Dr Salinger instead making their presentations.
Organised by the Waitaki District Council, the seminar was to present climate change science and its effect on the Waitaki community and farming.
Dr Salinger started with the science, which was focused on global and New Zealand effects, with a brief summary of what that meant for east Otago.
Those effects included wetter weather in the west, greater climate extremes, 20-year droughts becoming 10-year droughts, the threat to the coast from rising sea levels - but with the positive aspect of warmer temperatures and fewer frosts.
It was intended to have questions at the end of each presentation, but during Dr Salinger's delivery, some members of the audience broke in, presenting alternative views and criticising the scientists, including attacks on the science behind climate modelling.
The criticism ranged from changes in predictions in the past two decades to satellite data on sea levels and ice melt contradicting what scientists were saying.
The symposium chairman, council strategy group manager Richard Mabon, cut in to say people were there to hear Dr Salinger and ask questions, not to comment.
In terms of local effects, questions and comments from the audience focused on the emissions trading scheme and its effect on farming, including the criticism it did not encourage farmers to be efficient.
Efficient farmers would pay the same as inefficient farmers, one woman describing the emissions tax as a fine.
The two-hour symposium ended without any decisions on where the district should go from here, but was an informative exercise.
