| Today, groundhogs across the country are emerging from their burrows and making their annual predictions: will spring come early this year, or will we have six more weeks of winter?
Meteorologists tell us that the groundhogs’ predictions are no more accurate than guesses, but groundhogs aren’t the only ones having difficulty these days.
Climate change is making our weather increasingly unpredictable—and it’s both costly and dangerous.
In honor of Groundhog Day, will you make a gift to fight climate change?
Extreme weather events like droughts, hurricanes, heat waves, and extreme cold snaps are becoming more frequent and fierce. In the Midwest and West Coast, droughts and erratic weather lead to crop failure, water shortages, and raging wildfires; while East Coast and Gulf cities are vulnerable to massive damage from storms of unprecedented size and strength. Taken together, it’s costing us billions of dollars—and too many human lives.
Animals suffer from unpredictable weather, too. Last year, a new study found that cold weather early in the winter prompts birds to build thicker nests with heavier lining. This heavy lining keeps nesting birds warm as the temperature continues to fall. When early winter is too warm, birds add less lining material to their nests, putting parents and their chicks at risk of freezing if the temperature dramatically drops—exactly what we’ve just experienced in North America this winter.
All life on Earth depends on a stable, safe climate. But only we humans have the power to make a difference. That’s why EDF has made fighting climate change our #1 priority.
Will you make a special gift today to fight climate change?
Your tax-deductible gift will do so much: it’ll defend EPA in federal courts here in the U.S., slow deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, develop carbon markets in China, and promote clean sustainable energy use by leading businesses and organizations. Wherever we see opportunity, we're committed to identifying our best hope for meaningful and lasting forward progress.
 Happy Groundhog Day!
Emily Stevenson
Manager, Online Membership |
