(Chicago, Illinois – January 9, 2006) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today announced a preliminary estimate that 2006 was the warmest year on record in the United States (though not globally).
According to the National Climate Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina, the average temperature was 55 degrees Fahrenheit, 2.2 degrees above the twentieth century mean.
The NOAA estimate is likely to fuel global warming alarmism. But not everyone is concerned.
James M. Taylor [941/776-5690 – [email protected]], senior fellow for environment affairs for The Heartland Institute and managing editor of Environment & Climate News, notes that “crop production continues to break records, forests continue to expand, deserts continue to shrink, life expectancies continue to rise, and our environment continues to become greener by almost every standard of measurement.”
This, according to Taylor, goes against the dire predictions of global warming alarmists. “Where are the catastrophic floods and droughts?” asks Taylor, “Where are all the crop failures and disease outbreaks?”
Taylor points out that global temperatures, even considering recent above-average temperatures, are still rising at a pace of less than 2 degrees Celsius per century, and each new year confirms warmer temperatures are good for humans and the environment.
For more information about The Heartland Institute contact Michael Van Winkle at 312/377-4000 or email [email protected].
