Climate Change: Information Statement of the American Meteorological Society

Adopted by the American Meteorological Society Council on April 15, 2019, issued on April 22. Its last statement on climate change was in 2012. The body of this statement is only a little more than five pages.
Web-page version
PDF version

A lot of news stories talk about people being scared of climate change. Reading this kind of thing is more likely to anger me because of failure to be more responsible.

Excerpts:
"Global temperatures were last on par with the present ones in the previous Interglacial Period (125,000 years ago), when sea level was 6–9 m (20–30 ft) higher than today. Projected warming over the next century will likely place global temperatures in a range not seen in millions of years of geologic history." Page 1

"In addition to the widespread warming, the oceans are becoming more acidic and the amount of dissolved oxygen is decreasing, impacting marine life. These changes are consequences of well-understood chemical and physical processes. Seawater becomes more acidic when it absorbs some of the excess carbon dioxide that has accumulated in the atmosphere. Observations show that the oceans have become 25% more acidic (0.1 pH decrease) over the last century. Ocean acidification affects marine organisms, notably those that build calcium carbonate structures, including shellfish, corals, and many species of marine plankton. Pervasive surface warming has led to reduced ocean oxygen levels that, when combined with coastal pollution, contribute to ocean 'dead zones' and massive fish kills. An increase in the magnitude and duration of ocean temperature extremes represent an acute near-term threat to many marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, as apparent from the global-scale coral bleaching event of 2015–2016." Page 2

This is what Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day, said in a speech during the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970:

"Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures. 

Our goal is a new American ethic that sets new standards for progress, emphasizing human dignity and well being rather than an endless parade of technology that produces more gadgets, more waste, more pollution. 

Are we able to meet the challenge? 

Yes. We have the technology and the resources. 

Are we willing? That is the unanswered question."

From text of speech Denver, CO, April 22, 1970

http://www.nelsonearthday.net/docs/nelson_26-18_ED_denver_speech_notes.pdf