THE UNITED STATES CURRENTLY RANKS 61^st AMONG NATIONS IN ITS RESPONSE TO THE EVER-ENCROACHING HARMFUL EFFECTS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY YALE AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITIES.  KATHLEEN McNEELY, COORDINATOR OF MARYKNOLL'S OFFICE OF GLOBAL CONCERNS' FAITH, ECONOMY AND ECOLOGY PROGRAM ATTENDED THE CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE IN COPENHAGEN LAST DECEMBER AND SHE IS OUR GUEST ON THE PROGRAM TODAY.

SINCE THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION FIRST BEGAN RECORDING WEATHER STATISTICS IN 1850, THE GLOBAL TEMPERATURE HAS CLIMBED SIGNIFICANTLY.   THE GENERAL CONSENSUS OF THE GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY APPEARS TO AGREE THAT THE NEARLY 200 HUNDRED YEARS OF INDUSTRIALIZATION OF OUR PLANET IS CAUSING THE EARTH'S TEMPERATURE TO RISE.  BUT THAT MANIFESTS MORE AS CLIMATE ANOMALIES, CHANGES IN WEATHER PATTERNS, RATHER THAN TEMPERATURE GAINS.   WE RETURN TO OUR CONVERSATION WITH KATHY McNEELY.