Nation's Top Science Groups Demand Bold Climate Action From Congress—Now!

The nation’s top scientific organizations have an important reminder for members of Congress: human caused climate change is real, its impacts are already being felt in the U.S., and only a significant slashing of greenhouse gas emissions will stave off the worst risks.

The 31 groups including the American Meteorological Society, the American Society of Plant Biologists, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)—organizations representing “millions of scientists,” according to the Associated Press—issued their statement in a letter (pdf ) to the lawmakers dated Tuesday.

Impacts in the U.S. include “extreme weather events, sea level rise, and increased risk of regional water scarcity, heat waves, wildfires, and the disturbance of biological systems,” the letter states. “The severity of climate change impacts is increasing and is expected to increase substantially in the coming decades,” it states.

The letter adds that “adaptation is necessary to address unavoidable consequences for human health and safety, food security, water availability, and national security, among others,” and concludes by offering to collaborate with the lawmakers as they “seek to address the challenges of our changing climate.”