The U.S. Department of Energy on 14 August released a 200-page climate assessment that acknowledges human-driven warming but challenges claims that it poses an imminent economic or ecological catastrophe. Prepared by a five-member Climate Working Group granted full editorial independence, the report concludes there is "no convincing evidence" that U.S. hurricanes, tornadoes, floods or droughts have become more frequent or intense in recent decades. While affirming that greenhouse gases are raising global temperatures, the authors estimate the resulting economic damage will be far smaller than many earlier projections. They argue that even the elimination of all U.S. emissions would have an "undetectably small" effect on global temperatures, and warn that sweeping decarbonization mandates could inflict greater economic harm than the warming itself. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who commissioned the study, said the goal was to "elevate the debate" by subjecting widely cited climate claims to fresh, data-driven scrutiny. Travis Fisher, a Cato Institute analyst who helped organise the panel, noted that the findings highlight "far more nuance" than previous federal summaries. The Environmental Protection Agency has already cited the Department of Energy study as it weighs whether to revisit the agency’s 2009 determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health. That move, together with sharp reactions from climate advocates and skeptics alike, signals that the new report is set to become a flashpoint in U.S. climate and energy policy.