Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson says he now believes in global warming because of the heat wave that is punishing the U.S.

He says on an airing of the "700 Club," "We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels... It is getting hotter, and the icecaps are melting and there is a buildup of carbon dioxide in the air."

Robertson says the heat index, which reached 115 Fahrenheit in some areas, is "the most convincing evidence I've seen on global warming in a long time."

His comments are a departure from his views in October, when he accused the National Association of Evangelicals of being in league with "far right environmentalists" for saying global warming was the fault of humans, and needed to be curbed.

Robertson was criticized last year for saying disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita may be a sign the end of the world was near.