House Republicans reject Democrats' call for climate science hearings - The Hill's E2-Wire

One defeated amendment, from Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), would have required hearings on the role of climate change in drought, heat waves, wildfires, reduced crop yields and other effects.

Rush knocked GOP climate skeptics. “Hurricane Sandy wasn’t a hoax. The droughts and the fires experienced by those in the Western states, those weren’t hoaxes, those are realities. There was pain suffering and loss of property,” he said.

Treacherous conditions prompt new Quest route  |  Yukon News

The 26 Yukon Quest mushers and their dogs will have a slightly easier and shorter race this year thanks to a last-minute route change.

The new trail will avoid the treacherous American Summit near the border. Instead, the teams will proceed along the Yukon River between Dawson City and Eagle, Alaska.
...
“They had so much snow up on top of the summit, and with the winds they’ve had in the last few days, it’s made the conditions completely impassable for snow machines and by extension, the sled-dog teams.”

Twitter / PeterGleick: Fascinating: belief in ...

Fascinating: belief in human-caused #climate fluctuates with temperature anomalies *and* political party. http://www.unh.edu/news/img/hamilton_stampone_2013.jpg …. [HT to DDG]

Moose population in Minnesota drops dramatically; hunting suspended | StarTribune.com

Based on the aerial survey conducted in January, the new population estimate is 2,760 animals, down from 4,230 in 2012. The population estimate was as high as 8,840 as recently as 2006...It could be overall warmer temperatures from climate change.  [If the globe hasn't warmed for 15+ years, is global warming really a likely cause of this population fluctuation since 2006?]