According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the World Meteorological Organization, NASA, and the UK's Met Office, the last decade was the warmest on record--and 2009 came in second place after 2005 as the warmest year in recorded history. Higher temperatures mean more evaporation of ocean water into the atmosphere, more energy in the planet's climate system, more precipitation (including snow) and more extreme weather events (like Snowmageddon).
So while climate-denying pundits point and laugh at the 10-foot snow banks blocking Baltimore's sidewalks as evidence that warming is wacko, they're actually seeing proof that climate change is, indeed, real.
Americans all over the country who have seen weather patterns go from familiar to frenetic have used common sense to evaluate the facts, and have come to the conclusion that it's now time to take action on climate change. It's also time for climate champions on Capitol Hill to prove they don't have snowglobes for brains, and pass a fair and effective bill to fight global warming.
Enjoy the snow--while it lasts.
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Janet Redman is co-director of the Sustainable Energy and Economy Network at the Institute for Policy Studies, where she provides analysis of international financial institutions' energy investment and carbon finance activities. She's also an avid cross-country skier. www.ips-dc.org
Minuteman Media distributed this op-ed.
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