Scientists agree the Earth’s climate is being directly affected by human activity, and for many people around the world, these changes are having negative effects. Records show that 11 of the last 12 years were among the 12 warmest on record worldwide. The just-released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Summary for Policy Makers — the first volume of the IPCC’s 4th Assessment Report — states that scientists are more than 90% confident that human industrial activity is driving global temperature rises. (add your thoughts on the report at RealClimate.org) Carbon dioxide levels today are nearly 30 percent higher than they were prior to the start of the Industrial Revolution, based on records extending back 650,000 years.
Global warming is already affecting the world we know, endangering polar bears, shortening ski seasons and creating more intense storms. We know how to fix this problem and prevent a global environmental disaster. Join this community to share your concerns about a warmer planet, and find global warming solutions that you can put into action today. According to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, a Townsville/Australia based clearinghouse for coral reef studies, 27% of the reefs have been destroyed in the past 50 years with another 32% being at risk this century.
Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. Models referenced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predict that global temperatures are likely to increase by 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) between 1990 and 2100.[1] The uncertainty in this range results from two factors: differing future greenhouse gas emission scenarios, and uncertainties regarding climate sensitivity