U.S. Government Agencies Warn of Severe Global Temperature Increases

A new report from U.S. government agencies comes with serious warnings about climate change, stating that climate changes could cost the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars and lead to the deaths of thousands. This report was prepared by a group of 13 U.S. government institutions, indicating that global temperatures are rising rapidly, and if not addressed, could increase by an average of 5 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century. The report is based on the fourth national assessment of climate change in the United States, involving 300 scientists. Some findings were released last fall, stating that the cause of global warming can only be attributed to human actions, particularly greenhouse gas emissions. These findings are in stark contrast to the views of Donald Trump, the President of the United States, who calls climate change a hoax. He tweeted on Wednesday, referencing the cold weather in many parts of the U.S. ahead of Thanksgiving, which he described as the coldest Thanksgiving, asking, 'So what happened to global warming?' However, the report emphasizes that climate change cannot be dismissed based on the weather of a single day or week, but must be assessed over a long time frame. The timing of the report's release on Friday, while Americans are on Thanksgiving holiday, has drawn criticism from media outlets like Huffington Post and CNN, which believe the government aimed to diminish the report's impact on public perception, as it was initially scheduled for release in December. The report states that humans are currently experiencing the hottest weather in modern history, and even if immediate action is taken to reduce greenhouse gases to zero, global temperatures would still rise by 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit. If greenhouse gases are not significantly reduced, the annual average global temperature could increase by 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) or more by the end of this century. Washington has announced its withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, a treaty established in 2015 aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which nearly all countries in the world have joined. Exiting this treaty was one of Donald Trump's campaign promises. He claims the agreement is 'costly for the American people' and research indicates that implementing the treaty could eliminate over 2.5 million jobs in the U.S. by 2025. Nevertheless, Trump has stated that the U.S. is ready to renegotiate for a fairer agreement.