Nobel-Prize Winning Science Panel Confirms Urgency of Global Warming

WASHINGTON (November 17, 2007) – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) today released its official synthesis of the scientific findings presented in the multi-volume Fourth Assessment of Climate Change. In the Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) of the report, Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report, the IPCC confirmed the availability of solutions and the need for immediate action to stop and reverse global warming.

The IPCC Synthesis Report states that the warming of the climate is “unequivocal” and concentrations of global warming emissions “have increased markedly as a result of human activities” since the industrial revolution. The report identifies the wide array of measures for energy efficiency, renewable energy and other alternative sources that are available to cut global warming emissions.

 

“The IPCC has made it clear that the longer we wait, the more the world will suffer from global warming, and the more costly attempts to recover will be. During the year that the IPCC has released its three foundation reports there have been hopeful signs of increased awareness of the need for the United States to act to cut its own emissions—historically the largest in the world.  Legislation that will cap and reduce global warming pollution is moving in the U.S. Senate. We hope this report will help drive action in this Congress, because additional delay will put our country and the world at large in harm’s way. The solutions are at hand but Congress must act for the market to deliver them in time.

 

“The world’s leading scientists have told us that heat-trapping pollution is causing global warming and that if not checked, the resulting climate disruption will overwhelm our ability to adapt. Fortunately, there are solutions available -- increasing the amount of electricity produced from renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass; more efficient vehicles produced with technology available today; and a cap on global warming pollution –-to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.”