By 2100, the average world temperature could rise between 2.7 and nearly 11 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a new draft report by the U.N.-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This estimate is markedly higher than the 1.8 to 6.3 degree rise predicted by the IPCC in 1995. The report also asserts that it is likely that greenhouse gases produced by humans through the burning of fossil fuels have “contributed substantially” to the warming of the atmosphere over the past 50 years, noticeably stronger wording than was used in previous IPCC reports. Al Gore called attention to the report yesterday, saying that global warming is “a moral issue” and criticizing George W. Bush for not planning to do anything about it. Gore will talk about his plans to deal with global warming during campaign stops today in the Midwest.
