_{Adopted by the Board of Trustees; March 21, 2007}

Executive Summary

There is an overwhelming scientific consensus that the buildup of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses, caused by human activity, is changing the earth’s climate. The burning of fossil fuels is the principle cause of the buildup but other activities contribute to the accumulation. The increase in surface temperature over the 20^th century for the Northern Hemisphere is likely to have been greater than for any other century in the last thousand years, and it is projected that on a global basis in the 21^st century, earth will experience higher maximum temperatures, higher minimum temperatures, more intense precipitation events, increased summer drying, and increased storm events, among other changes. These changes pose a threat to all forms of life and ecosystems and pose a direct challenge to the conservation of the flora of New England.