It is January 1, 2007 and here in Ottawa — traditionally a snowy cold town at this time of year — it was a balmy 8 C with bright sunshine. I’ve played golf in worse weather.
Last week, a chunk of Ellesmere Island the size of 11,000 football fields broke off. That was the same day that a U.S. government agency declared the polar bear might be an endangered species because the habitat it depends on is melting. And Bill can’t do any ice fishing in spots he ought to be able to fish …
But if you thought the weather was a tad warm in 2006 . . .
A combination of global warming and the El Niño weather system is set to make 2007 the warmest year on record with far-reaching consequences for the planet, one of Britain's leading climate experts has warned.
Happy new year.