A new report from international scientists claims that Earth is “unambiguously” in the midst of a climate emergency.
An international coalition of researchers claims in a report released today that the Earth’s vital signs have worsened to the point that “humanity unequivocally faces a climate emergency”. The report, “World scientists warning of a 2022 climate emergencypublished in the journal BioScience, notes that 16 of the 35 planetary vital signs the authors use to track climate change are at record values.
The report’s authors share new data that illustrate the increasing frequency of extreme heat events, increasing global loss of forest cover due to fire, and a higher prevalence of the mosquito-borne dengue virus.
They also point to the large increase in fossil fuel energy consumption following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns (despite increased fossil fuel divestment commitments) and the increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to 418 parts per million, the highest ever recorded.
16 of the 35 planetary vital signs the authors use to track climate change are at record highs
The report is a continuation, five years later, of the report «Warning from the world’s scientists to humanity: a second warning» published in BioScience and co-signed by over 15,000 scientists from 184 countries.
“As we can see from the yearly increases in climate catastrophes, we are now in the midst of a major climate crisis, with much worse to come if we continue to do things the way we have been doing them,” said lead author Christopher Wolf. from Oregon State University. “We implore our fellow scientists to join us in advocating research-based approaches to climate and environmental decision-making.”
Other co-authors on the report come from UCLA, the University of Sydney, the Independent University of Bangladesh, the University of Cambridge, the University of Exeter, the Bezos Earth Fund and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
“Climate change is not an isolated problem,” said Saleemul Huq of the Independent University of Bangladesh. “It is part of a broader systemic problem of ecological overshoot, where human demand exceeds the regenerative capacity of the biosphere. To prevent further untold human suffering, we need to protect nature, eliminate most fossil fuel emissions, and support socially just climate adaptations, with a focus on low-income areas that are most vulnerable.”
The report notes that in the three decades since more than 1,700 scientists signed the “Warning from the world’s scientists to humanity» originally in 1992, global greenhouse gas emissions increased by 40%.
“As Earth’s temperatures rise, the frequency or magnitude of some types of weather disasters can increase,” says Thomas Newsome of the University of Sydney. “We urge our fellow scientists around the world to speak out on climate change.”
“World Scientists’ Warning of a 2022 Climate Emergency” is an update of a Article published in BioScience three years ago. The Alliance of World Scientists, an independent organization formed to be a collective voice on environmental sustainability and human well-being, continues to collect co-signers for this 2019 document. More than 14,000 scientists from 158 countries have signed to date.
The ongoing work to drive action against climate change by scientists around the world is chronicled in a new 35-minute documentary “The Scientist’s Warning”. The film can be viewed for free on the Internet after its October 14 premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival (California).
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