The recent report was released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization that works under the auspices of the U.N. but is run by independent scientists and receives its money directly from participating governments.

Its first report, released in January, called the "Working Group I" report, focused on the scientific evidence that climate change is occurring.

The recently released report, the "Working Group II" report, which McCarthy chaired, details the impacts of climate change and the areas where humans will have to adapt to the changing climate.

The "Working Group III Report," which has not yet been approved, will discuss strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change.

In an interview last week, two days after his return from Switzerland, McCarthy spoke frankly about the implications of his report and the political overtones of any discussion of the reasons and responses to climate change.

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The Harvard Crimson: Can you explain the scope of the report and its title, "Impacts, Adaptations, and Vulnerability" in everyday terms?