Florida Governor Charlie Crist, in his State of the State (pdf) address, said the following:

This simple fact reflects a challenge that we ignore at our own peril. I am persuaded that global climate change is one of the most important issues that we will face this century.

With almost 1,200 miles of coastline and the majority of our citizens living near that coastline Florida is more vulnerable to rising ocean levels and violent weather patterns than any other state. Yet, we have done little to understand and address the root causes of this problem, or frankly, even acknowledge that the problem exists.

We appreciate Gov. Crist's frankness on this issue, as well as his willingness to speak out. National Wildlife Federation President Larry Schweiger commended Crist on this in a press release yesterday.

Gov. Crist did the state and the entire region a service by acknowledging that more extreme weather events, such as more intense hurricanes, are caused by global warming. For far too long, federal and state officials have either denied or evaded the ominous link between global warming and more intense hurricanes. For the citizens, businesses and wildlife that are all at risk, the first step in addressing an amplified hurricane risk is acknowledging that it exists.

We welcome Gov. Crist,s call for moral leadership to address global warming because we are convinced that we all have a moral responsibility to confront this challenge to protect our children,s future.