International panel says warming is 'very likely' caused by humans Ð and it may be too late to stop it

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report differs from other reports in that it used only peer-reviewed published science, and that representatives of 113 governments had to agree to every word. It sums up the available scientific evidence for the current state of global warming but stops short of offering solutions to the problem. This report is the first of four parts.

Global warming is "very likely" caused by man - the strongest conclusion to date. Concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the planet's atmosphere "have increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750."

The outlook: Hotter temperatures and rises in sea level "would continue for centuries" no matter how much humans control their pollution. It is "very likely" that heat waves, hot weather and heavy rainfalls would become more frequent.

Temperature change: Predicted temperature rise is 2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100. That was a wider range than in the 2001 report. However, the panel also said its best estimate was for temperature rise of 3.2 to 7.1 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hurricanes: An increase in hurricane and tropical cyclone strength since 1970 "more likely than not" can be attributed to man-made global warming. Scientists said global warming influences the storms that strike the Americas.

Sea levels: There is a projected rise of 7 to 23 inches by the end of the century. An additional 3.9 to 7.8 inches is possible if the recent surprising melting of polar ice sheets continues.

- The Associated Press