The National Climate Assessment, involving over 300 government scientists and climate experts, have released a draft report on Climate Change and it isn't easy reading for Americans, or at least it shouldn't be.
Its findings set out in 1000 pages a picture of the real effects of climate change on US life and the most likely consequences for the future.
'Climate change is already affecting the American people' the report said 'Certain types of weather events have become more frequent and/or intense including heat waves, heavy downpours and in some regions floods and drought. Sea level is rising, oceans are becoming more acidic, and glaciers and Arctic sea ice are melting'.
'As climate change and its impacts are becoming more prevalent, Americans face choices. Beyond the next few decades, the amount of climate change will still largely be determined by the choices society makes about emissions. Lower emissions mean less future warming and less severe impacts. Higher emissions would mean more warming and more severe impacts.'
It doesn't take a scientist to realise that climate change is on course to turn not just America but the entire planet into a more disaster-prone place but as the weather events of last year showed, the effects are being felt globally but the big question is, will we the current generation, be prepared to make significant sacrifices in order to prevent some of the worst of the looming catastrophe?
Sadly, there seems to be no will at the leadership level to implement the enormous changes that are urgently required and future generations won't thank us for sticking our heads in the sand at probably the most dangerous crossroads modern humans have arrived at.
Simply, if we don't make the necessary changes, Mother Nature will do it for us and we won't like it one bit.
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