According to the report, human-made emissions of greenhouse gases can be blamed for fewer cold days, hotter nights, killer heat waves, floods and heavy rains, devastating droughts, and an increase in hurricane and tropical storm strength. The harmful effects of climate change during the 21st century "would very likely be larger than those observed during the 20th century," the report said.
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The report predicts temperature rises of 1.1 to 6.4 degrees Celsius (2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit) by the year 2100, a wider range than in the 2001 report. The panel's best estimate was for temperature increases of 1.8 to 4 degrees Celsius (3.2 to 7.1 degrees Fahrenheit).Regarding rising sea levels, the report projects jumps of 7 to 23 inches (18 to 58 centimeters) by the end of the century. An additional 3.9 to 7.8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) are possible if polar ice sheets continue to melt.
The report warns that no matter how much civilization slows or reduces its greenhouse gas emissions, global warming and sea level rise will continue for centuries.
More articles from Spiegel Online on global warming.
Update 2/4: Steve Bates has the link to the pdf report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (Bottom of the post.)
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