Its Clear Humans Are Changing World's Climate, Panel Says

"Declaring that 'human influence on the climate system is clear,' a U.N.-assembled panel of scientists reported Friday that 'it is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.'"

"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which brings together hundreds of researchers from around the world, adds that 'warming in the climate system is unequivocal and since 1950 many changes have been observed throughout the climate system that are unprecedented over decades to millennia.'"

"Looking ahead, panel co-chair Thomas Stocker warns that 'continued emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in all components of the climate system. ... Heat waves are very likely to occur more frequently and last longer. As the Earth warms, we expect to see currently wet regions receiving more rainfall, and dry regions receiving less, although there will be exceptions.'"