Climate Change

The release of The National Climate Assessment report this week will undoubtedly stir up even more intense political debate, with critics of climate change claiming the report is “more political than scientific”. Oyster growers in Washington, corn growers in Iowa and maple syrup producers in Vermont are all mentioned in the 800 plus page report as being victims of climate related changes. And while the report does not directly state that human activity is the direct cause of climate change and the increase of extreme weather patterns, it does conclude that “there is new and stronger evidence that many of these increases are related to human activities.” Members of the Senate and Congressional Western Caucuses released their own report this week highlighting state environmental stewardship entitled “Washington Gets It Wrong, States Get It Right”. This report, which includes data submitted by nine different state environmental agencies on how they are successfully managing their own air, land, water and wildlife, strongly states that “it is time that we left the protection of states’ resources and heritage in their own hands. The Federal government should not be in the position of making decisions for communities that have already taken the initiative to make these decisions for themselves.”