Green Daily

Groundhog Day prognosticator of spring Punxsutawney Phil has been predicting global warming for quite some time, according to National Wildlife Federation's wildlife biologist Dr Doug Inkley.

• From 1900 to 1924, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow all but one year
• From 1925 to 1949, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow all but one year
• From 1950 to 1974, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow all but two years
• From 1975 to 1999, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow all but eight years

The last 25 years show a six fold increase in the number of times the woodchuck of weather folklore has not seen his shadow. "Wildlife are often the first to feel the effects of climatic changes. Phil would probably be the first to agree that our country needs to develop solutions to global warming fast. Otherwise he'll be forced to pull up stakes, move north and change his name to Buffalo Bill," quips Dr Inkley.

Punxsutawney Phil can be said to be a quiet voice in climate change. While not the Nobel Peace Prize winner and much admired former VP Al Gore of global warming fame, Gobbler's Knob town fathers contend Punxsutawney Phil holds a perfect record spanning 120 years of meteorological accuracy in his yearly prediction based on whether or not he sees his shadow on Groundhog Day.