Global Warming Report: Settling the Debate

The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its updated report on global warming today. It contradicts two main arguments deniers make about global warming -- that climate change is uncertain, and that scientists are divided:

With at least 90 percent certainty, the IPCC's "Summary For Policymakers" concludes human-generated greenhouse gases account for most of the global rise in temperatures over the past half century. Hundreds of scientists from 113 countries prepared the report, which represents the most comprehensive overview of scientific climate research since 2001.

Global warming deniers often claim that the planet's warming is a new, unproven theory that contradicts a Newsweek article from the 1970s that the planet might be cooling. According to Britain's The Guardian newspaper, the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, has been offering scientists bribes of $10,000 (plus expenses) to dispute the report. But as detailed in the Washington Post this week, in reality, the report is just the latest stop on the long road to scientific consensus.

Some climatologists say even today's grim report paints too rosy a picture. As you can see by this photo, it's already too late for many polar bears as their habitat rapidly shrinks.

As Lowell points out at Raising Kaine, Virginia is doing little or nothing about global warming. And as Eric blogs, the debate is over.

Here in Arlington, you can start taking steps to reduce their environmental impact through Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment's Green Living Challenge!

So after all these reports, what's the most amazing number? A new survey shows 13 percent of Americans have never heard of global warming.