Draft report offers starkest view yet of U.S. climate threats

Photo taken on Sept. 29, 2022 shows the aftermath of hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida, the United States. (Photo by Rolando López/Xinhua)

More intense extreme events and long-term climate changes make it harder to maintain safe homes and healthy families, reliable public services, a sustainable economy, thriving ecosystems and strong communities.

NEW YORK, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- The effects of climate change are already "far-reaching and worsening" throughout all regions in the United States, posing profound risks to virtually every aspect of society, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing a draft scientific report circulated by the federal government.

"The draft of the National Climate Assessment, the government's premier contribution to climate knowledge, provides the most detailed look yet at the consequences of global warming for the United States, both in the present and in the future," the Times reported.

The final report isn't scheduled to be published until late 2023, but the 13 federal agencies and hundreds of scientists who are compiling the assessment issued a 1,695-page draft for public comment on Monday, it noted.

"The things Americans value most are at risk," the draft report, which could still undergo changes as it goes through the review process, was quoted as saying.

"More intense extreme events and long-term climate changes make it harder to maintain safe homes and healthy families, reliable public services, a sustainable economy, thriving ecosystems and strong communities," the draft report said.