OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY- In a paper, a multinational alliance of academics claims that the Earth's vital indicators have deteriorated to the point that "humanity is definitely confronting a climate emergency."
Based on the research "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency 2022," published in the scientific journal BioScience, 16 of the 35 planetary vital indicators used by the authors to measure climate change are at record highs.
The researchers of the study present fresh data demonstrating an increase in the frequency of severe weather events, an increase in worldwide forest cover loss due to fires, and an increase in the incidence of mosquito-borne virus infection.
They also report substantial increases in fossil-based energy use during COVID-19 epidemic shutdowns, despite an increase in fossil fuel divestment promises and a surge in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels reaching 418 parts per million.
World Scientists' Warning to Humanity
The report's principal authors are William Ripple, a prominent professor in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University (OSU), and postdoctoral researcher Christopher Wolf, with ten additional US and global experts as co-authors.
The study comes five years after the "World Experts' Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice," published in BioScience by Ripple and co-signed by over 15,000 scientists from 184 nations.
As seen by the annual increases in environmental disasters, humanity is already in the middle of a catastrophic climate crisis, with considerably worse to come if people continue as they have. They beg their colleagues to join them in campaigning for evidence-based solutions to climate and ecological decision-making, per the university paper.
The collaborative paper also includes co-authored works from UCLA, the University of Cambridge, the Independent University Bangladesh, the University of Sydney, the University of Exeter, the Bezos Earth Fund, and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
As said by Saleemul Huq from Independent University Bangladesh, climate change is not a solitary concern. It is part of a widespread issue of ecological overshoot, in which human demand exceeds the biosphere's regenerating capacity. To avert further unfathomable human suffering, we must safeguard the environment, reduce substantial emissions from fossil fuels and encourage socially equitable climate adaptations, with a particular emphasis on the most susceptible communities.
Raising a Unified Voice for Global Mission
In line with the report, worldwide emissions of greenhouse gasses have climbed by 40% in the last three decades, while more than 1,700 scientists endorsed the first "World Scientists' Warning to Humanity" in 1992.
As Thomas Newsome of the University of Sydney said, as global temperatures rise, the frequency and size of some sorts of climatic disasters may increase. We urge our colleagues throughout the planet to speak out about climate change. Adding to Wolf and Ripple, the paper's co-authors include three additional OSU researchers: Matthew Betts, Jillian Gregg, & Beverly Law.
The Alliance of World Scientists, a non-profit organization founded to provide a unified power on ecological sustainability and human well-being, is still gathering signatures for the 2019 document. Over 14,000 scientists representing 158 countries have joined thus far.
The ongoing effort of scientists worldwide to encourage climate change action is recounted in a new 35-minute documentary film, "The Scientist's Warning," which is now freely available on digital streaming after its Oct. 14 presentation. "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency 2022" is an update to a report released three years ago in BioScience.
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