I'd like to thank the US taxpayers who are funding global warming research

[Lisa]

This is a big shout-out to all the DUers who are filling out those 1040s and bankrolling some of the world's best scientists, by paying their salaries at places like NCAR and NASA, and also by funding thousands of grants and scholarships. I know that there are also some DUers who are employed by state and federal agencies like the EPA, and publically-funded colleges and universities, who are putting a lot of work into this issue.

Despite the Bush Administration's backtracking and obfuscation (and outright sabotage, in some cases) -- I and lots of others around the world know that American scientists, at any rate, have been doing groundbreaking research with theoretical models, greenhouse gas monitoring (like at Mauna Loa in Hawaii), and on-the-ground impacts work, among many other fields.

One of my colleagues is completing his PhD in climatology. He's been having a difficult time of it -- it's been so hard for him to get data, and his topic (potential impacts of global warming on storm/wind patterns in the Pacific Northwest and B.C.) is very demanding.

Today he was so happy that he burst into tears ... some helpful US government researchers sent him AN ENTIRE HARD DRIVE full of information.

So I wanted to thank everybody for supporting this effort, because if it weren't for the scientists, and the people who pay the bills, this happy event would never have happened!