A pre-publication draft of the “Summary for Policymakers” from the long awaited Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was released in late September, 2013. The major conclusions have been approved, but editing and typesetting remain to be done. The final report is scheduled for publication in January, 2014.

IPCC has also prepared a 1-1/2 page Headline Statements from the Summary for Policymakers. I can’t summarize the Summary any better than the Headline Statements do. Follow the link to read the document.

There are no major surprises in the “Summary for Policymakers.” The new evidence that has accumulated since the Fourth Assessment Report continues to support the theory of climate change. Global warming is occurring, it is caused mainly by human emissions of greenhouse gases, it is affecting the climate in significant ways, and the the altered climate is affecting many natural systems on which we depend for life.

The assessment reports prepared by the IPCC are very large reviews of the entire body of scientific literature on climate change. The 4th AR was written by over 400 contributors who contacted more than 6,000 scientific sources. When written, it was probably the most authoritative review of the science of climate change available. It had little to say about Missouri, however. In many of my previous posts I have attempted to ferret out information that speaks to climate change in Missouri, and several upcoming posts continue to review that information. Stay tuned.

Sources:

“Summary for Policymakers” from the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC Home page » Fifth Assessment Report: Report » Summary for Policymakers. http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/#.UknBk7xHejJ.

Headline Statements from the Summary for Policymakers, IPCC Home page » Fifth Assessment Report: Report » Press Release » Headline Statements. http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/#.UknBk7xHejJ.