CONTENTS Preface 1 Executive Summary 7 1. Global Climate Models and Their Limitations .. 9 1.1. Models and Forecasts. 9 1.2 Radiation 12 1.3. Clouds 16 1.4. Precipitation 22 2. Feedback Factors and Radiative Forcing 27 2.1. Clouds. 27 2.2. Carbonyl Sulfide 29 2.3. Diffuse Light 30 2.4. lodocompounds 34 2.5. Nitrous Oxide 35 2.6. Methane 37 2.7. Dimethyl Sulfide 45 2.8. Aerosols.. 48 3. Observations: Temperature Records 63 3.1. Paleoclimate Data 63 3.2. Past 1,000 Years 66 3.3. Urban Heat Islands 95 3.4. Fingerprints 106 3.5. Satellite Data 109 3.6. Arctic 114 3.7. Antarctic 131 4. Observations: Glaciers, Sea Ice, Precipitation, and Sea Level 135 4.1. Glaciers 135 4.2. Sea Ice 152 4.3. Precipitation Trends 162 4.4. Streamflow 175 4.5. Sea-level Rise. 184 5. Solar Variability and Climate Cycles 207 5.1. Cosmic Rays 208 5.2. Irradiance 220 5.3. Temperature 233 5.4. Precipitation 258 5.5. Droughts 268 5.6. Floods 273 5.7. Monsoons 274 5.8. Streamflow 278 6. Observations: Extreme Weather 281 6.1. Droughts 281 6.2. Floods 302 6.3. Tropical Cyclones 309 6.4. ENSO 330 6.5. Precipitation Variability 336 6.6. Storms 341 6.7. Snow 347 6.8. Storm Surges 351 6.9. Temperature Variability 352 6.10. Wildfires 355 7. Biological Effects of Carbon Dioxide Enrichment 361 7.1. Plant Productivity Responses 362 7.2. Water Use Efficiency 409 7.3. Amelioration of Environmental Stresses 14 7.4. Acclimation 480 7.5. Competition .487 7.6. Respiration 491 7.7. Carbon Sequestration 497 7.8. Other Benefits 517 7.9. Greening of the Earth 551 8. Species Extinction 579 8.1. Explaining Extinction .579 8.2. Terrestrial Plants 590 8.3. Coral Reefs 596 8.4. Polar Bears 639 9. Human Health Effects 663 9.1. Diseases 664 9.2. Nutrition 676 9.3. Human Longevity 691 9.4. Food vs. Nature 695 9.5. Biofuels 701 APPENDIX 1: Acronyms 709 APPENDIX 2: Plant Dry Weight Responses to Atmospheric CO2 Enrichment 713 APPENDIX 3: Plant Photosynthesis Responses to Atmospheric CO2 Enrichment 727 APPENDIX 4: The Petition Project. 739