From the Washington Policy Center’s Blog, Feb 5…
“Within a span of 13 months, we had two 100-year floods,” Gregoire said this was evidence of climate change. Gov. Gregoire, quoted in TVW Capitol Record, January 29, 2009
“President Obama may be in the White House, but we’re not out of the woods yet! The wheels are falling off the old economy, I-5 has been closed by floodwaters 2 years in a row… Governor Gregoire has just introduced a bill to cap and reduce global warming pollution and put Washington at the forefront of building a new energy economy.” Kerri Cechovic, Environmental Priorities Coalition, e-mail to supporters on the need for a cap-and-trade bill to address climate change, February 2, 2009
“How many times have you heard that severe windstorms and heavy rains will increase in the Northwest under global climate change? The truth is, there is no strong evidence for these claims and the whole matter is being actively researched. Some portions of the Northwest have had more rain and wind during the past decades, some less. And initial simulations of future Northwest climate do not suggest heavier rain events.” University of Washington atmospheric scientist Clifford Mass, Seattle Times editorial, January 13, 2009
Mass went on to say…
As an environmental scientist, I am frustrated by the poor information distributed by public officials, the media and others regarding the current and predicted frequency of extreme weather events. It is time for the scientific community to set the record straight.
We have observed the same situation in the way government planners talk about the need and value of restrictive shoreline regulations. It is time for the scientific community to set the record straight. Unfortunately, there is very little funding for scientific research, and where funding exists results take time. One additional problem, the results can’t be forecasted, only hypothesized.
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