State Dept. Report Links Human Activities to Climate Change

A State Department draft report on climate change, "Fifth U.S. Climate Action Report," stated climate change was human-caused, Reuters reported. The report said: "Global warming is unequivocal and primarily human-induced. Global temperature has increased over the past 50 years. This observed increase is due primarily to human-induced emissions of heat-trapping gases."

The report found that the actions outlined in House-passed climate change legislation could reduce predicted GHG emissions from 8,000 megatonnes (8.8 trillion tons) by mid-century to fewer than 2,000 megatonnes (2.2 trillion tons). The draft report is open for public comment. It is expected ultimately to be submitted to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, following reports submitted in 1994, 1997, 2002 and 2007.