People all over the world will face “untold suffering” because of the climate crisis if things continue as they are now. According to a severe warning from over 11,000 scientists, major transformations to global society are mandatory.
The warning is clear. We are running out of time. The scientists stated:
We declare clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency. To secure a sustainable future, we must change how we live. [This] entails major transformations in the ways our global society functions and interacts with natural ecosystems.
The climate crisis has arrived and is accelerating faster than most scientists expected. It is more severe than anticipated, threatening natural ecosystems and the fate of humanity.”
The statement has been published in the journal BioScience. Appropriately, they disclosed it on the 40th anniversary of the first world climate conference. Dozens of scientists collaborated in drafting the statement then had it endorsed by further 11,000 from 153 nations.
A few of the urgent changes required include:
- Ending population growth.
- Cutting down on meat consumption.
- Leaving fossil fuels in the ground.
- Stopping forest destruction.
The lead author of the statement, Prof. William Ripple of Oregon State University, said that the surge of recent extreme weather events is what drove him to initiate the project. The most important aspect of the warning is to provide a full range of “vital sign” indicators of climate breakdown, both causes, and effects. Other statements or papers only discuss carbon emissions and surface temperature rise, leaving out many critical factors of the climate crisis.
Co-author of the statement, Thomas Newsome of the University of Sydney, said:
A broader set of indicators should be monitored, including human population growth, meat consumption, tree-cover loss, energy consumption, fossil-fuel subsidies and annual economic losses to extreme weather events.
Also, there are several “profoundly troubling signs from human activities” listed including:
- Booming numbers of air passengers.
- World GDP growth (The excessive consumption of a wealthy lifestyle goes hand in hand with the climate crisis).
These unsustainable human activities have led to increasing land and ocean temperatures, extreme weather events, and rising sea levels.
The scientists said:
Despite 40 years of global climate negotiations, with few exceptions, we have largely failed to address this predicament. Especially worrisome are potential irreversible climate tipping points. These climate chain reactions could cause significant disruptions to ecosystems, society, and economies, potentially making large areas of Earth uninhabitable.
We urge widespread use of the vital signs [to] allow policymakers and the public to understand the magnitude of the crisis, realign priorities and track progress.
Newsome is hopeful, however. He added:
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to look at the graphs and know things are going wrong. But it is not too late.
The scientists go on to identify encouraging signs, which include:
- Increasing solar and wind power.
- Fossil fuel divestment.
- Decreasing global birth rates.
Then they lay out a series of urgently required actions:
- More efficient use of energy overall.
- The application of substantial carbon taxes to slash fossil fuel use.
- The stabilization of the global population. (The current growth rate of 200,000 people per day is inappropriate).
- Put an end to deforestation and the destruction of nature.
- Restore mangroves and forests to absorb carbon dioxide.
- Eat less meat.
- Reduce food waste.
- Transition away from GDP growth to stabilize the economy and curb overconsumption.
The scientists conclude:
The good news is that such transformative change, with social and economic justice for all, promises far greater human well-being than does business as usual. The recent surge of concern was encouraging – from the global school strikes to lawsuits against polluters – and some nations and businesses starting to respond.
The looming threat of mass extinction of wildlife on the planet is real. The time to act was yesterday, but better now than never to avoid “vast human misery.”
