No need to sugarcoat things here, we've got a little bit of bad news for you this week – climate is warming faster than we thought, we're already feeling the impacts from big storms, and the Obama Administration announces plans to open up more U.S. coastal areas to offshore drilling.  But we're not going to sit aside and let our planet heat up to uninhabitable temperatures, now are we?  So it's time to roll up our sleeves – first, sign this petition to tell Obama to quit his shortsighted offshore drilling plan.  Next, sign up to get to work.  Finally, read this blog – and watch 24 October video if feeling in need of positivity!

Temperatures may rise over 5 degrees by 2100

This past week, MIT scientists released a new study indicating that previous studies were too conservative in predicting temperature rise this century.  With better understanding of how heat cycles in our atmosphere, and higher predictions for CO2 rise, their predictions now range over 5 degrees C – if we do nothing.  The good news?  With policy, we can still slow it down.  Link to Washington Post story.

U.S. hammered by storms, local governments struggle to foot the bill

Remember hearing how dealing with climate change is too expensive?  Looks like it will be quite a bit more expensive to do nothing and let a changing climate wreak havoc on our planet.  This past spring, a huge series of intense floods and storms left municipalities with bills into the millions.  In many coastal areas, tourist towns found themselves with a narrow strip or no beach after massive erosion.  Read the story here.

And those same coastal areas hammered by increasingly severe storms?  The just might have another thing coming at them.  Sign the "don't drill" petition here, and pass it on!