Rising sea levels and sea temperatures caused by climate change could wreak havoc on the economies of small South Pacific nations, costing $3 billion to $3.9 billion over the next 20 years, according to a report conducted by scientists and economists for Greenpeace. The report said that rising sea levels combined with the loss of coral reefs because of global warming could cause declines in fishing and tourism. The New York Times and Washington Post have both run editorials in the last few days noting that the scientific consensus about climate change continues to grow more certain, citing a draft report by the U.N.-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that concludes that human activity has “contributed substantially” to warming over the past 50 years. The Times criticizes the Republican Congress for “reckless inaction” on climate change, while the Post says that Al Gore has taken much more of a leadership role on the issue than George W. Bush.
