The White House approved the report, despite concerns that climate-change-denying members of the Trump administration might block that approval. The findings of the report directly contradicted the stated stance of many members of Trump’s inner circle.
The US published a much-anticipated report on climate change Friday (Nov. 3), coauthored by 13 federal agencies, that unequivocally confirms three conclusions:
- We are living in the warmest period in modern civilization
- The excessive warming is due to human activity
- Without swift and dramatic action to curb emissions, average global temperatures could rise by a disastrous 5°C (9°F) above preindustrial levels by 2100, far higher than the 2°C (3.6 °F) level considered extremely dangerous by the global scientific community.
One example: Rick Perry, who leads the US Department of Energy, told the audience at an energy policy event yesterday (Nov. 2) that he does not believe humans are the main drivers of climate change. “I still think the science is out”, he told moderators at the event hosted by Axios and NBC News.
Department of Energy scientists are listed as some of the authors on the report, along with scientists from other federal agencies, and other scientists without government ties.
Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, one of the non-federal authors, tweeted some of the takeaways of the report: