The floods came as a comprehensive new study by the U.S. government finds global average temperatures have increased 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900 and will continue to rise along with greenhouse gas emissions, with human activity as the only plausible driver. The stark warning came as part of the National Climate Assessment, a congressionally mandated report due every four years. The assessment was approved by the White House—a move that surprised many observers, though spokesperson Raj Shah later sought to downplay its scientific findings.