The first nine months of 2012 were the warmest on record for the U.S. as a whole. Toledo's first nine months were its warmest in 58 years. They were the warmest in 74 years in Cleveland and in 65 years in Columbus and Cincinnati.
Anecdotal or not, these and other records assembled by the National Climatic Data Center add to the overwhelming body of evidence that Earth's climate is warming. Some of the change is natural; some is man-made. Plenty of symptoms - from this past week's superstorm Sandy to record Arctic ice melts to America's worst drought in a half-century - suggest the need for a global response.
Four years ago, Republican presidential nominee John McCain declared climate change a major concern of his campaign. This year, members of his party mock any pretense of meaningful discussion of the issue.
Still, the next Congress needs to act. The preferable course is cap-and-trade legislation that would allow industries to barter among themselves for emissions credits, and thus maintain flexibility in responding to anti-pollution mandates.
Continued indifference to the issue of climate change is a prescription for failure. More than 100 scientists and public officials implored President Obama and GOP nominee Mitt Romney to address the threat of rising sea levels during their final debate last month, but the issue did not arise.
Both national security and price stability will require the country to develop a broader energy mix, including greater reliance on renewable sources. That, in turn, will require the next Congress to get serious about climate change.