By Lisa Friedman/New York Times
WASHINGTON — The average temperature in the United States has risen rapidly and drastically since 1980, and recent decades have been the warmest of the past 1,500 years, according to a sweeping federal climate change report awaiting approval by the Trump administration.
The draft report by scientists from 13 federal agencies, which has not yet been made public, concludes that Americans are feeling the effects of climate change right now. It directly contradicts claims by President Trump and members of his cabinet who say that the human contribution to climate change is uncertain, and that the ability to predict the effects is limited.
“Evidence for a changing climate abounds, from the top of the atmosphere to the depths of the oceans,” a draft of the report states. A copy of it was obtained by The New York Times.
The authors note that thousands of studies, conducted by tens of thousands of scientists, have documented climate changes on land and in the air. “Many lines of evidence demonstrate that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse (heat-trapping) gases, are primarily responsible for recent observed climate change,” they wrote.
The report was completed this year and is a special science section of the National Climate Assessment, which is congressionally mandated every four years. The National Academy of Sciences has signed off on the draft report, and the authors are awaiting permission from the Trump administration to release it.
Government Report Finds Drastic Impact of Climate Change On U.S.
The excerpt's final nine words ring as ominous as the article's headline— "Awaiting permission from the Trump administration to release it."
Angry? I hope so.
From what we've seen so far in this clown show of a presidency, it's hard to imagine that Trump and his cronies will have an epiphany, "Oh, our bad. Yeah, maybe tens of thousands of scientists have a clue, and we don't."
Instead, those noted experts on everything, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kellyanne Conway, will trundle into a press room and — this is the gist — remind us that facts are fake, scientists are fake, climate change is fake, and neglect to admit the the report the New York Times received will be tossed into a furnace, perhaps joining phone records between Trump and his boss, Vlad I'm Glad You're Glad Putin. Frying pan. Fire.
But speaking of furnace, in this instance we're focused on health care. Yours. Mine. The entire planet. In every way, climate change acceptance is the preamble to a truly universal health care strategy.
First, despite what that frivolous ninny Huckabee Sanders will insist, climate change is not a hoax, nor is it a left wing, tree-hugging, tofu-infested, patchouli-scented, I Only Listen to Cat Stevens and 10,000 Maniacs Conspiracy.
How am I so certain?
Science.
Climate Change wasn't invented by a couple of bloggers in a basement with an Instagram account and a bong. Instead, many educated people more curious and intelligent than most have determined what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen. Al Gore was right in 2006 and he's even more right today.
What kind of moron denies climate change?
Or is this a business decision?
So the next question is clear — what kind of moron puts greed ahead of life?
Hyperbole?
To deny climate change is simply in tune with another GOP pet peeve — The Affordable Care Act.
But climate change is different. The GOP can (and did) exempt themselves and their staff from the vast changes they failed to pass with Obamacare, as if they knew all along that their health care legislation was bogus. As if to say, "our new legislation is good enough for the American people, but not for us."
Imagine a Frank Capra Congress where those on the right and left of the aisle work together to give every American the same health care plan that they receive, as elected to the House of Representatives and the Senate. Goose says hi to the Gander.
Not in this country now. Instead it's the ole double standard. Hypocrisy on parade. The tail wagging that damn dog. Again.
Perhaps those who rubber stamp Trump's climate denial believe that a similar we can protect ourselves ploy can be used in regard to the environment. That gets us back to stupid.
If we allow clean air and decent water to become political, we get what we deserve, don't we?
Decisions made in China influence the rest of the world. Just as decisions made in the USA, France, New Zealand. Everywhere. When it comes to the planet, we are in this together.
To paraphrase Joe Lewis: You can run from climate change, but you can not hide.
Health care begins with the environment. And it can end there.
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