A national hero has leaked the final draft of the science section of the
2018 National Climate Assessment to the New York Times. Article:
Scientists Fear Trump Will Dismiss Blunt Climate Report
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/07/climate/climate-change-drastic-warming-trump.html
Excerpt:
The report concludes that even if humans immediately stopped
emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the world would
still feel at least an additional 0.50 degrees Fahrenheit
(0.30 degrees Celsius) of warming over this century compared
with today. The projected actual rise, scientists say, will be
as much as 2 degrees Celsius.
A small difference in global temperatures can make a big
difference in the climate: The difference between a rise in
global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and one of 2 degrees
Celsius, for example, could mean longer heat waves, more intense
rainstorms and the faster disintegration of coral reefs.
Among the more significant of the study’s findings is that it is
possible to attribute some extreme weather to climate change. The
field known as “attribution science” has advanced rapidly
in response to increasing risks from climate change.
The report:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/07/climate/document-Draft-of-the-Climate-Science-Special-Report.html
The report as a downloadable PDF:
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/climate/2017/climate-report-final-draft-clean.pdf
It’s 673 pages. The executive summary is readable by a general audience
but some science background would be helpful for some of the chapters.
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