Climate Change
The science of climate change has historically been an uncertain field. However, there appears to be growing scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change, driven in part by the efforts of around 2,500 scientists in the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) and its working groups since 1990.
According to the IPCC, existing research indicates that the Earth's surface temperature has risen on average by less than a degree Celsius over the last 140 years, supported by proxy data indicating an unusual rise over this time period when contrasted with the last thousand years. IPCC findings also indicated that the 20thcentury has also been marked by lessened snow and seasonal ice cover, and rising sea levels and ocean temperatures.
History of the Earth's surface temperature over the past 140 years, and for the past 1,000 years, as presented in the IPCC Third Assessment Report in 2001
The IPCC Second Assessment Report in 1995 stated:
"The balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate"
The IPCC Third Assessment Report in 2001 reinforced this message:
"There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activitiesÂ…Anthropogenic climate change will persist for many centuries"
Indeed, all modelled scenarios reflect temperature increases in the next century.
IPCC models forecasting global surface temperature, from the IPCC Third Assessment Report in 2001
