Global Warming
WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING? 
Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising.
The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence. The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable. We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.
There is no doubt we can solve this problem. In fact, we have a moral obligation to do so. Small changes to our daily routine can add up to big differences in helping to stop global warming. The time to come together to solve this problem is now.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), this era of global warming "is unlikely to be entirely natural in origin" and "the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence of the global climate."
The National Research Council has issued three reports (Advancing the Science of Climate Change, Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change and Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change) examining how the nation can combat the effects of climate change. The reports are part of a congressionally requested suite of five studies known as America's Climate Choices.
The reports are:
Advancing the Science of Climate Change - While noting that there is always more to learn and that the scientific process is never "closed," this book emphasizes that multiple lines of evidence support scientific understanding of climate change.
Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change - Substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions will require prompt and sustained efforts to promote major technological and behavioral changes, says Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change.
Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change - This book notes that policymakers need to anticipate a range of possible climate conditions and that uncertainty about the exact timing and magnitude of impacts is not a reason to wait to act.
