Overview

2005 was a year in which the scientific discoveries and new research on climate change confirmed the fears and concerns of the science community. The findings reported in the peer-reviewed journals last year point to an unavoidable conclusion: The physical consequences of climate change are no longer theoretical; they are real, they are here, and they can be quantified.

In this short paper, WRI reviews some of the major discoveries from the past year. Taken collectively, they suggest that the world may well have moved past a key physical tipping point.

In addition, the science tells us the effects of climate change are at a scale that adds enormous urgency not only to the efforts to prevent additional change, but equally important, to efforts to adapt to the impacts already occurring.

Finally, the science makes it clear that additional climate impacts will result even if emissions of greenhouse gases are halted immediately.

A wide body of scientific and technical literature was reviewed in the preparation of this paper, including key general science journals (Nature and Science), several technical journals (Geophysical Research Letters, Annals of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, Ecology Letters, Ecology, Environment International, and Journal of Climate) and material from key web sites and international organizations (RealScience.org, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the U.S. Department of Energy, and others).

Each scientific paper is briefly described, along with the full citation to the original paper, and a short comment regarding the implications of each discovery is offered.

For ease of reading and organizational simplicity, the discussion below is separated into four sections:

• Physical climate (solar radiation, temperature increases, thermal inertia, and GHG concentrations)

• Hydrological cycle (hurricanes, glacial and snow melt, oceans, and water supply)

• Ecosystems (ecosystem services, food supplies, carbon sequestration)

• Technologies for climate change mitigation

The next major international assessment of the science of climate change, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is planned for release
next year. That report will address these as well as other discoveries related to the science, impacts, and potential response strategies to climate change.

However if the new scientific findings reviewed here (coupled with the overall trend of rapid increases in greenhouse gas emissions) are any indicator, they suggest the world is in both for an ominous report, and more significantly, a major shift in Earth's climate.

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