Hotter Than July

Stevie Wonder wasn't writing about global warming when he penned the album that titles this entry, but he was prescient: the National Climatic Data Center reports that the first six months of 2006 were the warmest first half of any year in the continental United States since 1895 - 3.4 degrees above the 20th-century average.

Last month was the second-warmest June on record for the United States and the world, which had its warmest June ever in 2005. Globally, the first six months of 2006 were the sixth warmest on record; the warmest year was in 1998, according to the Climatic Center.

Our planet hasn't had a cooler-than-average first six months of any year since the early 1980s, a streak that defies the natural vagaries of weather.

So, is it global warming, or is it Memorex?

Whatever the reason, people are paying attention, and it's about time - literally. Acting in time, we can turn the warming trend around.

Are we ready to move our collective energy and focus from global bombing to global warming? Be sure to read my August e-newsletter, What Shines for in-depth info on this topic. And let's get some hot dialogue happening.