Posted by Barbara Weinstein, Legislative Director

I lived in Canada for 10 years, so I tend to think of winters in Washington DC as being near-tropical in their warmth.  If the cold isn’t causing my eyes to tear and eyelashes to stick together, then it’s not really cold outside.

Still, there’s something unnatural about this winter’s warm weather.  With DC temperatures hitting 60 degrees in December and January, my winter wardrobe is being supplemented by lots of t-shirts.  And now comes new confirmation that the world is, in fact, getting warmer.  

According to a report just released by NASA, 2005 was the warmest year since records were first kept in the late 1800s.  The scientist in charge of the study blames the rising temperature on greenhouse gases.  

What can we do?  By urging car companies to improve the efficiency of their models, we can reduce the amount of pollution we create by driving.  Turning down the heat when we leave the house, buying energy-efficient bulbs, shutting lights as we leave the room, and encouraging synagogues to buy energy efficient appliances all have a positive impact.  These aren’t new ideas, but reminders are always helpful.  So even as we talk about the weather (and who doesn’t?) we can do something about it.