Their stark message came at the end of a three-day conference aimed at
updating the findings of a 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change before U.N. talks in December on a new global climate treaty.
"The worst-case IPCC scenario trajectories (or even worse) are being
realized," the scientists said in a statement. "There is a significant risk that
many of the trends will accelerate, leading to an increasing risk of abrupt or
irreversible climatic shifts."
The climate change panel predicted a sea level rise of 7 to 23 inches by the
end of the century, which could flood low-lying areas and force millions to
flee. But more recent research presented at the conference suggested that
melting glaciers and ice sheets could help push the sea level up at least 20
inches, and possibly as much as 39 inches, or about 1 meter.