Quote Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh View Post
The world is much cooler than it once was, but much warmer than some of our more recent cold periods. SOURCE

The last century or so has seen, by human standards, a fairly large increase in average temperature. Whether this is driven primarily by humans or not, it is certainly altering our life space and creating concerns that must be addressed.
More immediately, although this may apply less to the US than to Europe, the energy suppliers that the Euros depend on are decidedly unfriendly to our way of life. If we don't want to go with the Saudis and others in the area, then there are the Russians. And the Russians count as relatively close to our way of thinking. We need to reduce our energy consumption, if only to gain more independence in our foreign policy. The 1970s (IIRC) should have driven this lesson home.