“Scientific evidence that the Earth is warming is now overwhelming,” say scientists

Yesterday (13 July 2010), an op-ed (“The science behind climate change”) was published in Politico discussing the urgency of climate change and the certainties and uncertainties behind it.  The piece was written by:

• Dr. James McCarthy, professor of biological oceanography at Harvard University.
• Dr. Lisa Graumlich, dean of the College of the Environment at the University of Washington.
• Dr. Chris Field, director of the Department of Global Ecology at the Carnegie Institution for Science.
• Dr. James Hurrell, senior scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

All four were witnesses before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming at its 6 May 2010 hearing on “The Foundation of Climate Science.”

According to the article, in order for society to have a fair, robust discussion on climate change, the public needs to understand the scientific process, which is a constant exercise of generating theories, analyzing observational data, testing these components followed by rigorous discussion and retesting of research results.

For climate change, “[t]heories and observations have been tested, retested and reviewed. Today, a large body of evidence has been collected to support the broad scientific understanding that global climate warming, as evident these last few decades, is unprecedented for the past 1000 years — and this change is due to human activities.

This conclusion is based on decades of rigorous research by thousands of scientists and endorsed by all of the world’s major national science academies.

 …Although uncertainties remain, they concern issues like the rate of melting of major ice sheets rather than the broader topic of whether the climate is changing.”

The scientists emphasize that urgency cannot be overstated.

“Climate change caused by humans is already affecting our lives and livelihoods — with extreme storms, unusual floods and droughts, intense heat waves, rising seas and many changes in biological systems — as climate scientists have projected.”

For this reason, they are calling on policymakers, businesses and the general public to make smart decisions about current and future energy sources, which is the main contributor to climate change. While scientists are responsible for conveying their understanding of climate change to the public and policymakers, they emphasize that it’s ultimately up to society to determine what to do with this knowledge.

“But regardless of how the debate proceeds, it should be clear that opinions or misinformation cannot change the extensive scientific evidence. The atmosphere, the oceans and the land are warming. Humans are contributing significantly to this, and as it continues, it will have a major impact on our society, economy, environment, energy, national security and health throughout, and well beyond, this century.” 

How you can help: The Senate is set to debate and vote on a climate & energy bill in the final weeks of July or early August (2010). Call your Senators and ask them to vote YES on a climate & energy bill that limits fossil fuel pollution.

Online WWF Resources Regarding U.S. Climate & Energy Policy

• U.S. Federal Policy section, WWF blog
• Act For Our Future
• What does the Spill have to do with a Climate Bill?

Online Resources

The science behind climate change.  By Dr. James McCarthy, Dr. Lisa Graumlich, Dr. Chris Field, and Dr. James Hurrell.  Published in Politico, 13 July 2010.

“The Foundation of Climate Science.”  Hearing before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, 6 May 2010.

Climate scientists: “The urgent need to act cannot be overstated.” Posted by Joe Romm on his blog, Climate Progress (13 July 2010)