This is a trend that's becoming a little too predictable. I know of several people (and writers) who thought the whole global warming thing was a sham after the Northeast experienced a cooler than normal fall. Well, according to readings from around the country, the average temperature was 2.2 degrees warmer than the 20th century and just barely beat out 1998, the previous hottest year on record.

Each of the last nine years have all been among the 25 warmest years on record; which according to scientists is historically unprecedented. Something odd is happening around the globe and it doesn't take a eco-minded individual to understand that flowers in January is not a good sign. Heating oil in the U.S. is down almost 14% in relation to average climate conditions. Wineries are complaining that they cannot properly make ice wine, and famers are concerned that fruit trees will not winter properly.

With 2007 already predicted to be the hottest year on record, how long until we stop waiting for technology to solve the issue, stop trying to find the good in all of this, and start to seriously work on reducing our consumption and improving our efficiency?

As one scientist in the article mentioned, "We are loading the dice." Is gambling on climate change worth it? How many more "Hottest Years On Record" do we need before it all becomes clear?

The Los Angeles Times (via Common Dreams): "Record Warmth (Again) in 2006"