Climate change web site

I want to call your attention to a web site I've just discovered. It's called The Earth Institute at Columbia University. An article that's featured on the home page is called "Special Focus: Climate Change". Here's an excerpt:

This year is on track to be the hottest year on record. This would beat the previous record high set in 1998 and continue a general trend of rising temperatures dating back to 1980.

In May 2005, scientists concluded the Earth is absorbing more of the sun's energy than is being emitted back into space, disrupting the planet's energy balance and resulting in global warming. Scientists agree the Earth's climate is being directly
affected by human activity, and for many people around the world, these changes are having negative effects. Carbon dioxide levels today are nearly 30 percent higher than they were prior to the start of the Industrial Revolution, based on records extending back 650,000 years.

According to NASA, the polar ice cap is now melting at the rate of 9 percent per decade. Arctic ice thickness has decreased 40 percent since the 1960s. The current pace of sea-level rise is three times the historical rate and appears to be accelerating.

And here's a paragraph from the "About Us" page:

The Earth Institute at Columbia University brings together talent from throughout the University to address complex issues facing the planet and its inhabitants, with particular focus on sustainable development and the needs of the world's poor. The Earth Institute is motivated by the belief that science and technological tools already exist, and could be expanded, to greatly improve conditions for the world's poor while preserving the natural systems that support life on Earth.

It's a fascinating site and worth exploring. I hope you'll spend some time visiting there!

P.S. Here's a page that lists simple actions we can all do to help slow climate change. If we all did these things it would really make a significant difference.