We Need to Wake Up on Global Warming

It's no surprise that Hurricane Sandy's wake has dredged up chatter about global warming, but chatter isn't enough for Paul M. Barrett at Businessweek. In a piece accompanied by this attention-grabbing cover (via the Huffington Post), he looks at evidence from scientists to insurance agencies suggesting that though Sandy would have happened regardless, her strength and size would not have been as devastating if it weren't for global warming.

He goes on to criticize Mitt Romney for his shift from an environmental advocate to a "climate change agnostic." Obama's not off the hook, either, since he's distanced himself from the debate in his bid to win reelection, and his first term saw only moderate progress on the environment. To say that environmental regulation adversely affects the economy, as some claim, is "both shortsighted and dangerous." The problem will eventually demand global action, and the US, Barrett argues, needs to lead the way for countries like India and China. To ignore the issue now is "insane." Click to read his full piece. (More climate change stories.)