IPCC Released 5th Assessment Report on Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its 5th Assessment Report on Climate Change today. The IPCC is a body that was commissioned by the UN in 1988 to provide the world with a clear, scientific view of climate change and it’s socio-economic and environmental effects. Thousands of scientists volunteer their expertise to the IPCC and there are currently 195 member countries.

The report is huge and the Summary for Policy Makers (pdf) alone is 36 pages.  I have called out a few of the highlighted sections in the report to share with our readers – the bold is mine.

observed change in average surface temperature 1901-2012

The planet is heating up! – Figure from IPCC AR5 Summary for Policy Makers

Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased.

Human influence on the climate system is clear. This is evident from the increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, positive radiative forcing, observed warming, and understanding of the climate system.

Continued emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in all components of the climate system. Limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

All of the 19 highlighted statements in this report are important and worth reading, I’ve kept it to just a few quotes for simplicity.

Secretary of State John Kerry had a strong response to the report (the emphasis is mine):

This is yet another wakeup call: Those who deny the science or choose excuses over action are playing with fire.

Once again, the science grows clearer, the case grows more compelling, and the costs of inaction grow beyond anything that anyone with conscience or common sense should be willing to even contemplate.

If this isn’t an alarm bell, then I don’t know what one is. If ever there were an issue that demanded greater cooperation, partnership, and committed diplomacy, this is it.
Secretary of State John Kerry’s Response to IPCC 5th Report

How are you reacting to this latest report on climate change?

please share your responses in the comments below



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Comments

  1. Thanks for spreading the word. I am surprised and disturbed that this report has not had more coverage in the mainstream media. Try to search for “IPCC” at news.google.com: you’ll find 1115 articles. Now search for “Kanye West Paparazzi”: 586 articles. So our ecosystem is only twice as interesting to us as Kanye West??

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