A recent planetary report card reveals little headway in addressing the climate crisis, indicating humanity's failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Earth's vital signs are now worse than ever, with 20 of the 35 indicators, including population figures for humans and livestock, reaching record extremes.
This dire situation threatens life on the planet as Oregon State University ecologist Bill Ripple bluntly stated that humanity is not faring well, as emissions continue to rise.
Vendors wade through the flooded waters of Ganges river with their belongings after monsoon rains in Prayagraj on August 5, 2023.
Earth's Vital Signs Shows the Planet Is in Crisis
A recent report led by Bill Ripple, published in BioScience on October 24, provides an assessment of the planet's status based on 35 "planetary vital signs" related to climate. The analysis reveals that humanity has set new records in 20 of these vital signs, including factors like global GDP, fossil fuel subsidies, annual carbon emissions, and glacier thinning.
Moreso, the report considers human activities such as deforestation and meat consumption, as well as the planet's responses to these actions, like ice loss and temperature changes.
Aside from the formal 35 variables tracked since late 2019, the researchers are closely monitoring global estimates of populations experiencing undernourishment. Undernourishment often results from climate-related issues such as droughts and floods that harm crops.
While the analysis primarily relies on recent data, some variables use slightly older data. The report paints a grim picture as numerous climate-related records have been shattered in 2023, including record heat in July and unprecedented warmth in September.
An extraordinary wildfire season in Canada led to unprecedented carbon dioxide emissions, reaching 1 billion tonnes, equivalent to Japan's entire annual output.
The scientists advocate for a shift toward a global economy that prioritizes human well-being and addresses the overconsumption and excessive emissions of the affluent, as the top 10% of emitters were responsible for nearly 50% of global emissions in 2019.
Extreme Weather Events Unfold Distressing Scenes
The research highlights a significant increase in climate-related disasters, including flooding, wildfires, heatwaves, and landslides, with 14 disasters identified since October 2022 that were definitively or likely exacerbated by climate change. This includes heatwaves that afflicted North America and Europe, which would have been almost impossible without climate change.
These disasters have caused significant casualties and immense economic losses, with the U.S. setting a record for "billion-dollar disasters" this year.
Furthermore, the researchers observe that many of these climate disasters disproportionately affect communities that have contributed little to carbon pollution, underscoring the vulnerability of less affluent nations.
Scientists are alarmed by extreme weather events in 2023 and the potential for triggering irreversible climate tipping points. They emphasize the need for positive societal and economic tipping points to ensure a rapid and equitable transition to sustainability.
The report underscores severe flooding in China and India, intense heatwaves in the US, and a catastrophic Mediterranean storm in Libya, resulting in numerous fatalities.
The report emphasizes the importance of addressing the climate crisis with justice in mind, acknowledging the severe impact on disadvantaged regions. Joyeeta Gupta, a sustainability scientist at the University of Amsterdam, underscores the significance of including justice issues in the narrative to effectively address the problem.
Recommendations include ending fossil fuel subsidies, increasing forest protection, adopting plant-based diets, international treaties against new coal projects and phasing out oil and gas, and stabilizing and reducing the human population with gender justice and support for women's education and rights.
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