The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change has issued its Fourth Assessment Report in 2007. This report shows the effects and predictions concerning the issues surrounding global warming. Due to the size of the report and the amount of information contained in it, it takes a good deal of study to thoroughly understand the entire document.
However, some points can be made about the IPCC report. Working Group I is a part of the IPCC that reported on its study of the Physical Science Basis of the report. This dealt with the observations of global warming and the current state of how the sciences study global warming.
Attention was given as to how much of the problem was due to human activity and how much to causes in nature. Then, this section of the report makes predictions of how the course of global warming will run in the future.
After being produced by over 600 writers from 40 countries, the report was reviewed by another 620. The resulting findings were that global warming was indeed happening, and that human activity accounted for most of the cause of global warming.
This report notes many climatic changes that are occurring due to global warming. Some of these are changes in the make-up of the atmosphere, warming of the earth, and changes in ice, snow and permafrost. Also included were notes about the different amounts of rainfall and flooding, along with the frequency of drought.
The severity of hurricanes was discussed. It is stated that humans have brought on the global warming that has caused the extreme hurricanes, and that the 21st century will see even more of them. The portion of the study that blamed humans was a result of expert opinions more than a product of research.
Different factors were discussed that could cause global warming or cooling. The current era was defined as starting in 1750. In the current era, the sun has radiated more intense heat, human activities have raised the temperature, and greenhouse gases have increased rapidly.
Different models were given of the course global warming would take in the next century. The models were run using different scenarios. They all turned out somewhat different. However, they all indicated significant global warming.
The rises of temperature and of sea levels were explored fully. All the different models based on different scenarios were run to determine the numbers for these aspects of global warming. The prediction was that these levels would continue to rise for 1000 years, until all the excess greenhouse gases could be removed from the atmosphere.
Working Group II was involved with determining the Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability surrounding global warming. Working Group III had the task of determining what would be the best Mitigation of Climate Change. This part of the report gave recommendations to world leaders on the subject of global warming initiatives.
The IPCC's report is a lengthy study into the nature of global warming. It covers the past, the current situation, and predictions about the future. Then, it proceeds to discuss ways to curb global warming. It is an important document, and it should be read by anyone interested in global warming.
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