Bernie Sanders said Wednesday that "climate change is real" and the "debate is over" after NOAA reported that 2015 was the hottest year on record.
"This planet and its people are in trouble" he warned. "Unless we get our act together, we will see in years to come more droughts, more floods and more extreme weather disturbances."
Sanders then stressed the urgency of the challenge and cited his proposals to address it.
"It is absolutely vital that we act boldly to move our energy system away from fossil fuels. That's why I have proposed a comprehensive plan to put people before polluters and reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050 by putting a tax on carbon and making aggressive investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency."
NOAA and NASA both announced on Wednesday that 2015 was officially the hottest year in the 136 years of record keeping -- and by a wide margin. At 1.62° F (0.90°C) above the 20th century average, 2015 topped the previous hottest year, 2014, by the largest margin ever recorded, according to NOAA.