Crisis and Opportunity in a Changing Climate The world is warming, and the pace of warming is starting to quicken. In just the time it took to research and write this book, Earth endured seven of the eight hottest years ever measured by meteorological instruments. Its average annual temperature is now roughly one degree Celsius hotter than it was midway through the twentieth century. By the end of the twenty-first century, warming may well exceed two degrees Celsius. Around the world, people

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... already experiencing gradual and global changes in Earth's climate through local weather events that pass quickly but have lasting consequences. Climate change is not only altering average weather but also the frequency and severity of weather extremes. Presentday warming has intensified storms, prolonged heat waves, and provoked precipitation anomalies in ways that have overwhelmed vulnerable human infrastructure and thereby exacted a fearsome toll on rich and poor societies alike. Ever more extreme weather in our warmer future could threaten the very survival of our civilization. 1 2