by Calculated Risk on 1/24/2005 09:29:00 PM

An international climate change task force has issued a new report that "global warming is approaching the point of no return, after which widespread drought, crop failure and rising sea levels will be irreversible."

"An ecological time bomb is ticking away," said Stephen Byers, who was co-chairman of the task force with U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine. "World leaders need to recognize that climate change is the single most important long-term issue that the planet faces."

See also: Institute for Public Policy Research: G8-Plus Group needed to tackle climate change.