A report  released this week by two senior members of Congress
notes that the unusual number of extreme weather events in 2012
has cost the country billions of dollars and that the unusual
frequency of these events is consistent with what scientists
have predicted from climate change. The staff report, “Going to
Extremes: Climate Change and the Increasing Risk of Weather
Disasters” is from the offices of Reps. Edward Markey (D-MA) and
Henry Waxman (D-CA), the prime movers behind the last attempt at
significant climate legislation. It cites information from a
variety of sources, including NOAA, the news media and the
private sector to show how rising weather risk costs real money.
Their report comes a week after Congress headed home for the
elections having accomplished very little  to address climate
change. Nearly half the bills  introduced by the current
Congress would block or hinder climate action, though none of
these have been enacted into law. It also comes the same week
that three environmental groups