U.S. report to detail costs of climate change as Trump downplays threat
The congressionally mandated report, written with the help of more than a dozen U.S. government agencies and departments, will supplement a study issued last year that concluded humans are the main driver of global warming, and warned of potentially catastrophic effects to the planet.
“It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century,” according to that report. “There is no convincing alternative explanation ...” The report is expected clash with policy under President Donald Trump, who has been rolling back environmental and climate protections to maximize production of domestic fossil fuels, including crude oil, already the highest in the world above Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Previous research, including from U.S. government scientists, has concluded that climate change could have severe economic consequences, including damage to infrastructure, water supplies and agriculture. Severe weather and other impacts also increase the risk of disease transmission, decrease air quality, and can increase mental health problems, among other effects, according to U.S. and international studies.
Thirteen government departments and agencies, from the Agriculture Department to NASA, were part of the committee that compiled the new report.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-usa/u-s-report-to-detail-costs-of-climate-change-as-trump-downplays-threat-idUSKCN1NS19D
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