January-August of 2012 was the warmest such period on record in the 48 states and tied as second-warmest in Texas. August was the 330th straight month with a global temperature above the 20th century average, the same federal report said.

In this latest installment in TCN’s occasional series of excerpts from editorials and columns, opinions range from dismay at state Republican leaders’ climate skepticism to displeasure at federal environmental initiatives.