Blog About the Weather

The Associated Press, via Yahoo News, reports that private advocacy groups have found evidence of political pressure on government agencies to downplay awareness of globalwarming.

Further details of their findings are expected to be presented on January 30, 2007, to Congress.

As hearings on climate change begin, globalwarming statements by both Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and perennial Republican hopeful John McCain are expected. Each is expected to back increased globalwarming awareness, including mandatory greenhouse gas emission reductions, and each is involved in sponsoring 2007 legislation designed to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Government agencies accused by advocates of tampering with globalwarming reports include the White House Council on Environmental Quality, NASA and the EPA.

These accusations are in stark contrast to recent UN action related to globalwarming, including the 2007 release of new scientific findings on climate change.

Globalwarming advocates are well advised to maintain awareness of these 2007 hearings, and to write their congressional delegations to endorse support of important globalwarming measures.

The New Zealand Herald reports that 13% of Americans have never heard of globalwarming.

The result comes in a 2007 survey done by AC Nielsen in 46 countries to gauge global awareness of the globalwarming problem. US respondents to the survey were not only least aware of globalwarming, but also the least concerned about globalwarming’s impact on the planet. (Latin Americans were most concerned, possibly because they are particularly at risk of increased hurricane activity or loss of critical cash crops due to weather pattern change.)

Around the world, 57% of survey respondents called globalwarming “a very serious problem,” and another 34% considered it a “serious problem.” Only 42% of respondents in the United States thought globalwarming “a very serious problem.”

Surveys like this show that globalwarming awareness must be increased in the United States, which is the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in 2007. As the most serious contributor to the problem,the US mustact to limit globalwarming and protect our planet and our economy.

Democrat Barack Obama, a first-term Senator from Illinois, has formed a presidential exploratory committee. His views on globalwarming and the environment seem promising on first glance.

• As a Senate candidate in 2004, Grist magazine touted his environmental cred.
• For the 109th Congress’ second session, the League of Conservation Voters gave him a rousing 100% rating. For the first session, he rated 95%.
• He voted against offshore oil drilling and against oil drilling in the ANWR.
• He is a member of the Senate Environmental and Public Works committee.
• he is in favor of conserving the Great Lakes.
• He is a Senate co-sponsor of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act, which expressly addresses global climate change and globalwarming.

In 2007, globalwarming advocates should continue to raise awareness of Obama’s environmental stance, as he appears to be a strong friend to globalwarming foes. As a globalwarming advocate, he clearly has high potential to help us raise awareness of the growing threat in 2007 and beyond.

A study to be released next week by the United Nations is getting attention as it declares that globalwarming is already happening now, in 2007, and it is getting worse.

News outlets are raising awareness that the study will contain much new, scientific data on globalwarming. It is expected that the report will cover globalwarming’s impact on polar icecaps, sea currents, and weather patterns.

Future chapters of the report to be released later in 2007 may contain information to raise awareness of how globalwarming impacting human health, food production, and non-human species survival as climate change destroys habitats and cultivation environments.

Globalwarming advocates are looking forward to the release of the initial report on February 2, and subsequent chapters to follow in 2007. We all hope that the data will help convince globalwarming skeptics to take action!

Also this weekend, Kansas Senator Sam Brownback announced his candidacy for US President in 2008. As far as his awareness of globalwarming issues in 2007, his Senate site and his voting record are not always in accord:

• Sam claims that energy, agricultural, and the environment are all important issues in Kansas, and while he doesn’t state this directly, each has a relationship to globalwarming.
• Sam speaks of progress made in limiting greenhouse gases, which are clearly a factor in globalwarming.

However, contrary voices exist to Sam’s official and sanitized-for-our-protection Senate site:

• The Anti-Sam Blog points out that one of Sam’s largest campaign funding sources is a notorious polluter/cause of globalwarming
• Sam voted to confirm Gale Norton as Interior Secretary.
• Voted AGAINST including oil and gas refinery smokestacks in anti-mercury regulations in 2005.
• Brownback’s highest score in the last 7 years from the League of Conservation Voters is 29%, due to approving drilling in ANWR and rejecting various environmental programs!
Clearly, Senator Brownback has low awareness of globalwarming issues or, to date in 2007, just doesn’t care about globalwarming’s impact on our nation, our economy, and our planet. Certainly, Kansas is safe from super-hurricanes, and a refugee surge to the state could easily triple its population and change its economy. Voters who care about globalwarming awareness would be best advised to raise his awareness!

As 2008 presidential candidates declare themselves, each will have a different stance on globalwarming; awareness of their 2007 positions is important in the event they need to be guided to more enlightened views by a voting population.

Hillary Clinton declared for president on Saturday. Her environmental record and past association with globalwarming poster-child Al Gore suggests that she has awareness of the threat of globalwarming, and will take favorable stances on the issues:

• Ms. Clinton voted to include oil and gas refinery smokestacks in anti-mercury regulations in 2005
• She voted against now former Interior Secretary Gale Norton, not known as a friend to anti globalwarming forces

However, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) have been reducing her rating year-over-year, with her approval rating falling from 95% in 2005 to only 71% in 2006. She agreed to off-shore oil drilling, although she voted against drilling for oil in the ANWR.

Friends of globalwarming in 2007 must raise Ms. Clinton’s awareness of this critical environmental and social issue. If she is not willing to defend our planet from globalwarming, she is not a good candidate for president.

Students in Vermont have taken their awareness of globalwarming and made their Board of College Trustees invest in biomass fuels in recognition of the threat of climate change. Activists and others continue to promote globalwarming awareness in2007!

More people have awareness of globalwarming’s 2007 threat. Winemakers around the world fear that 2007 is set to be the warmest year on record. Will 2007 wines be impacted? Awareness of this fact may be impossible for some years due to fermentation times on top grapes!

The Seattle Times reports that evangelicals are finally allying with science in one key area: combatting globalwarming in 2007.

One evangelical spokesperson said, “God will judge us for destroying the creation. Therefore, we as evangelicals have a responsibility to be even more vigilant than others.” This increased awareness of globalwarming is impressive and has great potential, and echoes past globalwarming awareness from such persons as Pope John Paul II.

At the start of 2007, Nancy Pelosi wrote a page in feminist history by becoming the first woman to hold office third in line to the presidency. An ally in the fight against climate change, she is already moving globalwarming to the top of the democratic agenda, taking steps toward creating a new committee in the House devoted to reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Globalwarming expert Heidi Cullen went public last month, calling for the American Meteorological Society (AMS) to withhold Seals of Approval for Meterologists who refute the scientific evidence of global warming. As host of The Weather Channel’s ”The Climate Code,” Cullen has been a staunch advocate for globalwarming awareness throughout 2006, and looks to continue that trend into 2007.

In an interesting post released by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, Marc Morano further explores Cullen’s position, and discusses the ongoing and contentious feud between globalwarming skeptics and those who remain vocal about climate change, despite the stigma of being labled ‘climate alarmists’ by politicos such as himself. 

A Georgia University is sponsoring a lecture on the future of polar bears as the ice caps melt. Dr. Nick J. Lunn, Research Scientist with the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, will speak at this 2007 event to raise awareness of the polar bear’s dependence on sea ice, and how globalwarming harms the species.

The Seely Hills Classic ski race in Wisconsin is an early 2007 fatality of global warming. There’s not enough snow to create proper classic-technique ski tracks. Awareness of the issue of reduced snow and warmer temperatures due to greenhouse gas and globalwarming has increased. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Hayward, Wisconsin area (of which Seely is a part) is having a rough winter as tourism dollars dry up when there is no snow or ice.

Reuters reports that global warming could cut China’s grain production by more than a third, according to a scientific report to be released later in 2007. Global warming remains a low economic priority for China, although they have awareness of foreign oil dependence issues, and are trying to reduce their need for oil imports.

The Center for Biological Diversity encourages you to think of the polar bears and become aware of global warming and reduce your energy footprint in 2007.

Awareness of global warming has increased to such an extent that financial journalists are suggesting you turn a profit on globalwarming in 2007. This writer suggests various stocks that develop science and technology designed to limit global warming, and predicts good growth in this area in 2007 and beyond.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune published a great article on explorer Will Steger, who is making global warming awareness a 2007 project. His work in this area is extremely interesting, because as an arctic explorer he has special awareness of global warming’s effects on polar regions.