A group of scientists from around the world has issued a warning that the current state of Earth’s “vital signs” is the most concerning it has ever been. This puts life on the planet at risk.

Their analysis revealed that out of the 35 indicators used to monitor the climate crisis, 20 have reached unprecedented levels. In addition to measuring greenhouse gas emissions, global temperature, and sea level rise, the indicators also consider human and livestock population figures.

According to the researchers, numerous climate records were shattered in 2023, surpassing previous records by a significant margin. These records include global air temperature, ocean temperature, and Antarctic sea ice extent. The month of July had the highest recorded surface temperature, indicating that it was likely the hottest the Earth has been in 100,000 years.

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The researchers also emphasized an exceptional period of wildfires in Canada that resulted in record-breaking levels of carbon dioxide being released. This amounted to a total of 1 billion tonnes of CO2.₂

The amount of land burned is equal to Japan’s yearly production and is the fifth highest contributor to pollution globally. Experts suggest this large-scale destruction may signal a shift towards a new pattern of wildfires.

The scholars recommended shifting towards a worldwide economy that values the well-being of humans and reduces the excessive consumption and emissions of the wealthy. According to them, the top 10% of emitters were accountable for nearly half of the world’s emissions in 2019.

According to Dr. Christopher Wolf, a lead author of the report from Oregon State University (OSU) in the United States, if we do not take action to address the core issue of humans taking more resources from the Earth than it can sustainably provide, we are at risk of natural and socioeconomic systems collapsing. This could lead to a world with extreme heat and a shortage of essential resources like food and freshwater.

“By the year 2100, it is estimated that 3 billion to 6 billion people could face living conditions on Earth that are not suitable for human habitation. This could include extreme heat, scarcity of food, and increased risk of death.”

Professor William Ripple, who is also from OSU, stated: “The existence of life on Earth is evidently in danger. The data indicates highly concerning trends in climate-related factors and catastrophes. Additionally, we have observed minimal advancements in humanity’s efforts to combat climate change.”

Our objective is to convey accurate information about climate and offer suggestions for policy. It is the responsibility of scientists and our organizations to warn humanity of any potential threat to our existence and to demonstrate leadership in addressing it.

The study, released in the Bioscience journal, is a revised version of a report from 2019 that has received support from 15,000 scientists.

According to the report, scientists have been issuing warnings for many years about the potential consequences of human actions on the climate. However, it seems that we have reached a critical point where our activities are now causing dangerous and unstable conditions for our planet.

According to Prof Tim Lenton from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, who co-authored the study, these extreme weather events are concerning not only on their own, but also because they could potentially trigger tipping points that could cause permanent harm and speed up the effects of climate change.

Our greatest chance at avoiding a series of irreversible climate events is to recognize and activate beneficial changes in our communities and economies, in order to swiftly and fairly transition towards a sustainable future.

The researchers expressed their surprise at the severity of the extreme weather occurrences in 2023, which led to distressing scenes of suffering. They also voiced their concerns about the unknown territory that has been reached.

The report brought attention to significant floods in China and India, extreme heatwaves in the United States, and a highly intense storm in the Mediterranean that resulted in the loss of thousands of lives in Libya.

According to the report, there were 38 days in mid-September where the global average temperatures exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, which is the target for mitigating the climate crisis. The researchers noted that in previous years, these occurrences were uncommon.

Some of the suggestions made by scientists were to gradually eliminate financial support for fossil fuels, increase efforts to preserve forests, promote plant-based diets in wealthier nations, and implement global agreements to put an end to new coal projects and reduce the use of oil and gas.

They stated the need to stabilize and slowly decrease the human population while promoting gender equality through voluntary family planning and advocating for women’s and girls’ education and rights. This approach has been proven to lower fertility rates.

Large issues require significant solutions. As a result, we must change our viewpoint on the urgent climate situation, recognizing it as a widespread, existential danger rather than a single environmental concern. While the impact of global warming is severe, it is just one piece of the larger and interrelated environmental crisis we are currently confronting, such as the loss of biodiversity, scarcity of fresh water, and pandemics.

According to Dr. Glen Peters of the Global Carbon Project, the initial projection for worldwide carbon dioxide emissions in 2023 indicates a 1% increase, reaching a new peak. In order to have a high likelihood of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, global emissions need to decrease by 45%.

In September, a new evaluation of the Earth’s system utilizing nine planetary boundaries determined that the planet’s essential life-supporting systems had been significantly harmed, resulting in Earth being deemed “unsafely operating for humanity.” These planetary boundaries represent the thresholds of crucial global systems, such as climate, water, and biodiversity, which, if exceeded, could jeopardize the planet’s overall health.

Source: theguardian.com