PHOENIX — Hundreds of the world’s top climate scientists released a landmark report Monday about climate change and the future of the planet.
The 3,000-page report is the first in a series that will be released over the coming months and involves more than 14,000 peer-reviewed studies.
The report states, “It is indisputable that human activities are causing climate change, making extreme climate events, including heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and droughts, more frequent and severe.”
While many countries have pledged to reach carbon neutral levels by 2050, the report suggests that simply may not be fast enough.
“Unless there are immediate, rapid, and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees celsius will be beyond reach,” the report states.
12 News asked Gov. Doug Ducey and senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly to answer questions about the report. Ducey and Sinema did not respond to requests.
Kelly issued a statement that reads in part, “Tackling climate change is a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity for Arizona to lead in renewable energy technology... I worked to secure Arizona’s priorities in the bipartisan infrastructure bill and I will continue working to help us secure a prosperous future for our state.”
On Monday, Sinema was on the floor of the U.S. Senate touting the bipartisan Infrastructure mentioned by Kelly. The bill could get passed this week.
“It will mean the largest investment in clean energy transmission and electric vehicle infrastructure in U.S. history,” Sinema said.
Critics say the bill was stripped of important initiatives that are crucial to reducing CO2 emissions.
Arizona Weather
Arizona has seen its fair share of severe weather. Here is a compilation of videos from various storms across the Grand Canyon state.