Global warming is the most pressing environmental challenge of the 21st century. Because of our reliance on fossil fuels for energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) levels are increasing in the atmosphere and warming the Earth. Without corrective action, a dramatic temperature rise could harm both the Earth’s environment and humans.
To reduce the threat of climate change, the world economy must adopt more efficient technologies and more sustainable sources of energy.
Industrialized nations, led by the United States, must take steps over the next five years, to:
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The Problem
Scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warn that over the next century temperatures could increase between 3.5°C and 5.5°C (6°F–10°F). (See report on Web site of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's AR IV, Working Group I, Assessment Report Summary.)
As a result, millions of people could be affected by:
These effects of climate change could be intensified by property destruction and the displacement of populations by natural disasters. Approximately 20-30 percent of plant and animal species face extinction if temperatures increase beyond 1.5-2.5°C. (See Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007, Working Group II, “Summary for Policymakers.” PDF)
SolutionsScientific evidence must compel the U.S. and other industrialized countries to establish national policies to reduce GHG emissions sharply and quickly. Emissions must level off between 2015 and 2025, followed by a reduction of up to 80% by mid-century.
To reach these goals, Congress must cap the nation’s global warming pollution and institute complementary policies to:
Already, many U.S. states are cutting CO2 emissions to mitigate warming. The United States also must engage in diplomatic negotiations on global solutions to climate change.
For more information, visit the Pew Environment Group's Global Warming Web site.
Dec 19, 2007 - Congressional Testimony of Philip Clapp, Deputy Managing Director of the Pew Environment Group
Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Dec 06, 2007 - This report aims to provide perspective on who bears first responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It also examines commitments made by developed and developing nations, and individual U.S. states, to reduce emissions.
Sep 06, 2007 - Some like it hot. Even so, there’s widening interest in addressing the problem of global warming.
Read More
May 01, 2006 - Whether humans are implicated in the observed warming of the planet, says an expert, "is an argument that is over." Now what?
Apr 03, 2006 - Carbon Dioxide and Our Ocean Legacy explains how our seawater pH is falling because of pollution from fossil fuel use.
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