If anybody still had any doubts, yes, climate change is caused by humans; yes, there is a direct link between this summer’s extreme weather and a warming world; and yes, floods and wildfires will get worse unless we take drastic action to rapidly curb emissions. The sixth and latest report published today by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a robust read. The 195 governments that have pored over every word of this scientific report are in no doubt about the seriousness of the situation confronting the world.
The report, which shows the effects of global warming are unprecedented and sometimes irreversible, confirms “the climate is changing and there is no question this is due to human activity”, Bob Watson, a leading environmental scientist and a previous chairman of the IPCC, told the New Statesman. Written by scientists based on the most up-to-date modelling, and then finessed and signed off by governments, the report should be enormously influential on political decision-making.
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