Scientists have strong evidence that ocean warming in the last 40 years is a result of the industrial release of carbon dioxide, according to a wire service report. Researchers in the US compared the increase in ocean temperatures with climate model predictions and concluded that human activity is the main cause. They anticipate that this warming will significantly affect regional water supplies in the future. The study findings were presented at a science conference in Washington DC, where the team explored different scenarios to explain their observations, ruling out natural climate variability, solar radiation, and volcanic emissions as potential causes. Dr Barnett stated that greenhouse warming was the key factor in accurately replicating observed ocean temperature changes in a model with 95% statistical confidence. Researchers believe this is conclusive evidence that human activities are causing global warming. The team predicts that regional water supplies will be significantly impacted by climate change in the near future. In areas like the South American Andes and western China, millions of people could face water shortages in the summer due to faster glacier melting. Dr Barnett warned that if snow pack melts earlier and societies are unable to capture all the water, water shortages will occur in the summer. The Scripps researcher stated that political leadership is crucial in order to prevent a global disaster. The researchers expressed hope that the United States would change course to address the issue. They emphasized the importance of identifying and addressing global warming-related problems worldwide in order to effectively combat the issue.