The IPCC has been criticized in the past for downplaying the real costs of climate change, and its contribution to natural disasters, because it can be difficult to tease out the exact role of human-caused climate from a hurricane or other disaster. It has also been chastised for ignoring “wild cards” in the climate system, or self-reinforcing feedbacks. Among other things that includes thinning Arctic sea ice, allowing the ocean to absorb more heat, causing even more ice loss and diminished reflectivity in the region. The new report shows that under current scenarios, seas could rise above the likely range, going up to 2m by the end of this century and up to 5m by 2150. Unlikely figures maybe, but they can’t be ruled out. Reports are based on the consensus view of the hundreds of scientists who make up the IPCC, and it’s said that some of the most recent (and increasingly worrying) scientific findings haven’t yet found enough support to be included since reliance is on near-unanimous agreement.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-climate-report-was-too-cautious-some-scientists-say/
www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58138714