Report: ‘Extremely Likely’ Majority Of Global Warming Effects Are Man-Made

Speeches at Old Palace Yard which included the rallying cry 'Make June the end of May' - Trump & May Climate Disaster protest in support of the US climate march today Campaign Against Climate Change demonstration... Speeches at Old Palace Yard which included the rallying cry 'Make June the end of May' - Trump & May Climate Disaster protest in support of the US climate march today Campaign Against Climate Change demonstration, London, UK - 29 Apr 2017 As Trump reaches his first 100 days and pushes to slash the US climate research budget. In the UK the government has been reducing budgets and appears to be veering away from Climate Act commitments by forcing through a 3rd runway at Heathrow. (Rex Features via AP Images) MORE LESS
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Matt Shuham contributed reporting from New York City.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive U.S. report concludes the evidence of global warming is stronger than ever and that more than 90 percent of it has been caused by humans.

The conclusion contradicts a favorite talking point of senior members of the Trump administration.

A 477-page report released Friday said it’s “extremely likely” — meaning with 95 to 100 percent certainty — that global warming is man-made, mostly from carbon dioxide through the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt have said carbon dioxide isn’t the primary contributor to global warming.

Since 1900, the report says Earth has warmed by 1.8 degrees (1 degree Celsius) and seas have risen by 8 inches. Heat waves, downpours and wildfires have become frequent.

Asked by TPM Friday why the White House signed off on the report — given its record of making policy around a skepticism of climate science — deputy press secretary Raj Shah focused on the report’s disclaimer about “remaining uncertainty in the sensitivity of Earth’s climate to [greenhouse gas] emissions.”

Read the White House’s full statement below:

The climate has changed and is always changing. As the Climate Science Special Report states, the magnitude of future climate change depends significantly on “remaining uncertainty in the sensitivity of Earth’s climate to [greenhouse gas] emissions.” In the United States, energy related carbon dioxide emissions have been declining, are expected to remain flat through 2040, and will also continue to decline as a share of world emissions.

The Administration supports rigorous scientific analysis and debate and encourages public comment on the draft documents being released today.  To address climate change as well as other risks, the U.S. will continue to promote access to the affordable and reliable energy needed to grow economically, and to support technology, innovation and the development of modern and efficient infrastructure that will reduce emissions and enable us to address future risks, including climate related risks.

This post has been updated.

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