Climate change is like the pink elephant in the room.  Evidence of a warming planet is making headlines more frequently than ever — record-high temperatures, record-breaking floods, extreme weather, drought, wildfires, melting ice caps, a dying ocean. It is likely the single most important issue facing human beings in our lifetime. And yet it is avoided like the plague in political discussions and mainstream media.  Its occurrence is scientific fact, and yet the debate between believers and non-believers is dividing the country.

This year marked the hottest summer on record.  The Greenland icecap has melted for the first time in recorded history.  Nearly every region in the country from the desert Southwest to the Eastern Seaboard has experienced unprecedented flooding.  The wildfires in Colorado, Arizona, California and New Mexico created plumes of smoke and suit that could be seen by satellites over the North Pole.  Record breaking typhoons, hurricanes and tornadoes are occurring with alarming frequency and ferocity.  The extended drought has destroyed crops and wild habitats and ecosystems all over the world. These events are no accident.  In fact, renowned scientists have predicted extreme climate change as a result of global warming.

While there may be political debate about whether global warming is man made or a natural cycle of the earth, there is no disputing the fact that carbon emissions and ozone-producing industrial activity is exacerbating and accelerating the changes.  Unless we take drastic action to limit the destruction, the changes are likely to destroy the delicate balance that supports life on Earth.

We’re nearing that tipping point. Ignoring the reality of global warming has the potential to diminish our ability to survive on this planet. Politicians need to address global warming openly, and stop looking away from it in favor of policy that works for the special interests that pay for their elections.

The election results showed that the American people don’t think climate change is a joke. Now that the election is over, we still have the power to act.  The League of Conservation Voters has organized a petition to demand that global warming be addressed in the widely viewed presidential debates.  Sign the petition here.

Urge your Congressional representatives to support greater environmental protections and demand honest discussions about global warming in the national debates. Our survival depends upon immediately addressing global warming and climate change – often referred to as the greatest challenge of our generation.

~ by Snowden Bishop ~ Editor-in-Chief