Despite overwhelming evidence of climate change, more than half of Americans still believe there is a debate over whether it is happening and whether it is caused by humans.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest and most prestigious scientific society, has released a new report, titled “What We Know,” in hopes of debunking climate change denial and increasing action on the dangers of climate change.
The report’s central message: 97 percent of climate change scientists are in agreement that climate change is human-caused and that swift action to combat it is necessary. Unlike many reports on this topic – which are long, dense, and inaccessible to the general public – the AAAS report is only 15 pages and it is designed to be unambiguous and easily understood.
The organization hopes it will clear up misconceptions held by policymakers and the general public and underscore the urgency of the situation.
Among other dangers, the report warns that high-end projections show sea-level rising six to seven feet by 2100. In the U.S. alone, seven to eight million people live within six feet of the local high-tide line. And with storm surges like those seen in Superstorm Sandy, which caused flooding way beyond high tide lines, even a lesser sea-level rise could prove disastrous.
Hopefully, this report (see link below) will help end debates over the science of climate change and turn attention to how to most effectively address it.
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Web Links
Science Society Seeks to Shift Dialogue on Climate Change by Showing “What We Know”
Photo, taken June 17, 2004, courtesy of Jason Bender via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.