Climate change is getting worse. 25 out of 35 planetary vital signs have hit record levels. Key indicators include increased surface temperatures, ocean heat, and rising sea levels. Fossil fuel emissions are at an all-time high. Calls for change stress reducing over-consumption and human population growth to prevent irrecoverable climate disaster.
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A New Report
A new report from an international team of researchers, including those from the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research in Germany, has warned that 25 of the 35 planetary vital signs that help track climate change are at record levels. These signs include extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and intense, and emissions from fossil fuels, which are at an all-time high.
What are the vital signs of ‘disaster’?
Other vital signs they described included Earth’s average surface temperature, ocean heat, global sea levels and human population, all at record highs. The population is growing by two lakh a day.
Heatwaves- Normal to High
Climate change made heatwaves like the one in 2024 much more common and extreme, the authors said in the analysis, titled ‘The 2024 State of the Climate Report’. Perilous Times on Planet Earth was published in the journal Bio-science.
Greenland and Antarctica’s ice is at record lows.
Nitrous oxide levels increased 40% between 1980 and 2020.
Greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide are being released in record amounts. Nitrous oxide levels rose by about 40% between 1980 and 2020.
In 2023, people used more coal, oil and gas than in 2022. But they still use fossil fuels 15 times more than solar and wind energy.
In 2023, 20 of the 35 vital signs were at record extremes.
“We are heading for a climate disaster.” This is a global emergency. “Much of life on Earth is at risk,” the authors wrote.
A “critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis” could be unfolding, they said, stressing that current policies are putting the planet on track to reach 2.7 degrees Celsius of warming by 2100 – well above the Paris Agreement’s target of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
No point of return
The authors points out many climate tipping points, or ‘points of no return’, that are fast approaching and could potentially trigger irreversible, catastrophic changes. These included the collapse of major ice sheets and forest die-back – the slow, eventual death of trees that can threaten the resilience of a forest ecosystem.
For instance, Storm Bettina which took away 23 lives
“Storm Bettina over Black Sea brought heavy snowfall and rainfall to several countries along the Black Sea, affecting more than 2.5 million people and causing 23 fatalities. The burning of fossil fuels was responsible for an approximately twofold increase in the likelihood of this level of precipitation.” The report points out.
Tree Cover loss rate
Between 2022 and 2023, global tree cover was lost at a rate of 22.8 to 28.3 million hectares. “Climate change is already threatening life on Earth,” said William Ripple, from the University of Oregon, USA.
Reduction in population and over-consumption is the only solution to save humanity
The researchers said that we need to make big changes to save humanity. This includes reducing over-consumption and population.
