According to a recently released report from the National Climate Data Center, the "12-month period from July 2011-June 2012 was the warmest on record (since record keeping began in 1895), for the contiguous United States, with a nationally averaged temperature of 56.0 degrees, 3.2 degrees higher than the long-term average." Also, in June, "more than 170 all time warm temperature records were broken or tied." I find all that data troubling.
There have been recent droughts, wildfires and extreme weather such as the infamous derecho (straight line severe windstorm) which caused widespread damage and death across 700 miles in the mid-west through the mid-Atlantic United States. My cousin lives in Virginia, she experienced the full force of the derecho. According to her, the deadly storm came out of nowhere, hurricane force winds with little warning.
I believe in the power of prayer. I hope and pray the Iowa farmer gets the rain he's praying for. But it's obvious to me, since I read a lot, that we are damaging the natural environment and perhaps even throwing it into turmoil. The earth is heating up, there are consequences to polluting the environment and acting irresponsibly. We might have to face those consequences sooner than later. Thousands of scientists believe that global warming is a serious threat. I've read that the effects of global warming are extreme weather such as droughts in some places and heavy rain in others.
The Chinese have a saying, "May you live in interesting times." Well, we are certainly living in interesting times, let's just hope we are not living in times when things get out of hand, quickly......
NJA
