The Washington Times reports that the number of rodent complaints logged by D.C. health officials in 2007 was 3,391 — an 8 percent increase over the 3,138 recorded in 2006.

Were there really 8 percent more rats in D.C. last year than the year before? Maybe. Health officials are downplaying the numbers as in part the result of increasing public awareness about how to report rodent complaints. But the other part of the equation should have even global warming skeptics skeezed out: the last three years of warm winters seems to have given a boost to the city’s rat population. If that’s not a good enough reason to cut down on the amount of energy you consume, we don’t know what is.

Still, turns out the number of complaints is way down from 2000 (4,415), the year after Mayor Williams declared his War on Rats. To these new figures we say to Mayor Fenty: staying the course is no longer adequate, only a surge of poison can save the city! We need to show resolve in the face of these rodents of mass destruction! Let’s fight them over there instead of here at … oh wait, that one doesn’t work. Let’s fight them here at home! Down with rodent extremism!

Photo by KCIvey