Congress’ failure to address climate change in the energy bill passed last week could have terrible consequences for the planet.

Two University of Maine scientists have been in the Arctic studying glaciers. Their findings, as reported by The Associated Press, add more evidence to the piles of data showing that the planet is warming up, likely as a result of human activity.

During five weeks of study, Gordon Hamilton and Leigh Stearns measured the speed at which glaciers are moving in Greenland. One glacier is moving at almost 9 miles a year, up from 3.5 miles a year in the 1990s. A second glacier the pair studied also picked up speed, moving at about 7.1 miles per year, up from about 5 miles a year four years ago.

Glaciers speed up when the temperature rises. Increased melting acts as a lubricant for their movement. As they move faster, more icebergs are created in the North Atlantic and, if broadly repeated, sea levels rise.

Climate change is real. Congress had an opportunity to begin to address it. Instead, members paid homage to fossil-fuel industries. Fast-moving glaciers certainly aren’t the biggest worry we face, but they are a harbinger of the changes happening because of human activity. Sooner or later, Congress must start paying attention.