Eiffel Tower to Go Dark Ahead of Report

Greenpeace activists display a banner on the Eiffel Tower as scientists from around the world gathered in Paris, Monday Jan. 29, 2007 to finalize an authoritative report on climate change, expected to be a grim warning of rising temperatures and sea levels worldwide. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is to unveil its latest assessment of the environmental threat posed by global warming on Friday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) (Christophe Ena - AP)

The end result is a cautious document, many scientists say.

One Russian participant said the discussions he observed were more procedural than political.

Another observer who has taken part in several such conferences, Stephanie Tunmore of Greenpeace, said, "So far we're running on timetable. But who knows, we've got two more days. If there's any panic, it will be Wednesday night when they realize they've only got a few hours left."

An early draft of the report being released in Paris suggests it will contain stronger evidence of the human role in climate change and more specific predictions of rising temperatures and sea levels this century.

The report "won't change our scientific basis, but it will make our jobs easier," said Steve Sawyer of Greenpeace. "It is an important and powerful new tool in public debate and policy debate."

Environmental groups have long urged governments and consumers to rely more on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power instead of greenhouse gas-emitting ones like coal and oil. Greenhouse gases are considered a key culprit of rising global temperatures.

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Associated Press Writers Jenny Barchfield in Paris, Seth Borenstein in Washington, and Tom Maliti in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report.