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.