Issue: Disability and climate change
Author: Oregon State University
Published: 2024/10/08
Post type: Statistical and data analysis – Peer Reviewed: Yeah
Content: Summary – Introduction – Main article – Related topics
Synopsis: Climate report warns of escalating crisis and calls for immediate action as UN summit approaches. Of the 35 planetary vital signs that scientists use annually to track climate change, 25 are at record extremes. The human population is increasing at a rate of about 200,000 people per day, and the number of ruminant livestock (hoofed mammals such as cows, sheep and goats that produce greenhouse gases and are energy-intensive to raise) is increasing by about 170,000. daily.
Why it is important: This article provides a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the current state of the global climate crisis. Based on the annual report of an international coalition of scientists, it highlights critical data points and trends that underscore the urgency of the situation. The article presents 35 planetary vital signs, 25 of them at record extremes, including unprecedented high temperatures, fossil fuel emissions, and human and livestock populations. It also outlines specific policy recommendations to address the crisis, making it a crucial resource for policymakers, researchers, and concerned citizens. By synthesizing complex scientific data into accessible insights and actionable steps, this article serves as an essential tool for understanding and responding to the growing climate emergency. Disabled world.
Introduction
An international coalition led by Oregon State University scientists concludes in its annual report released today (Oct. 8, 2024) that worsening Earth’s vital signs indicate a «critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis» and that «decisive action is needed, and fast.»
Main article
The collaboration led by OSU’s William Ripple and former postdoctoral researcher Christopher Wolf outlines areas where policy change is needed (energy, pollutants, nature, food and economics) in «The State of the Climate Report 2024: Dangerous Times in the planet Earth», published in Bioscience.
«A large part of the very fabric of life on our planet is at risk,» said Ripple, a distinguished professor in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University. «We are already in the midst of abrupt climate upheaval, endangering life on Earth in a way humans have never seen before. Ecological excess, taking more than the Earth can safely give, has pushed the planet toward climatic conditions more threatening than anything witnessed even by our prehistoric relatives.»
Of the 35 planetary vital signs that scientists use annually to track climate change, 25 are at record extremes, he notes.
The three hottest days on record occurred in July 2024, and fossil fuel emissions are at an all-time high, as are the human population and ruminant livestock population, the climate report shows.
The human population is increasing at a rate of about 200,000 people per day, and the number of ruminant livestock (hoofed mammals such as cows, sheep and goats that produce greenhouse gases and are energy-intensive to raise) is increasing by about 170,000. daily.
Annual fossil fuel consumption increased by 1.5% in 2023, mainly due to large increases in the use of coal (1.6%) and oil (2.5%), the report indicates.
Renewable energy use also increased in 2023: solar and wind consumption together increased by 15% compared to 2022. But renewable energy use accounts for only one-fourteenth of fossil fuel use, and the recent increase in Use of renewable energy can be mainly attributed to the increase in demand. and not because they are replacing fossil fuels.
The report shows that the annual loss of tree cover globally increased from 22.8 million hectares in 2022 to 28.3 million in 2023 and, based on global year-to-date averages, concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane atmospheric are at historic highs.
«The growth rate of methane emissions has been accelerating, which is extremely concerning,» said Wolf, now a scientist with Corvallis-based Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Associates, known as TERA. «Nitrous oxide, which is powerful and long-lasting, is also at a record level.»
Other points of concern in the report, Wolf notes, are:
- The Earth’s average surface temperature is at an all-time high.
- Greenland ice mass, Antarctic ice mass and average glacier thickness are at historic lows.
- Ocean acidity and heat content, as well as global mean sea level, are at record extremes.
- In 2023, there were an estimated 2,325 heat-related deaths in the United States, a 117% increase from 1999.
- Twenty-eight amplifying feedback loops have been identified, those that exacerbate climate change, such as thawing permafrost.
«Since the publication of our 2023 report, multiple climate-related disasters have occurred, including a series of heat waves in Asia that killed more than a thousand people and caused temperatures to reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of India «Ripple said. «Climate change has already displaced millions of people, with the potential to displace hundreds of millions or even billions. That would likely lead to further geopolitical instability, possibly even partial social collapse.»
The scientists say their goal is to «provide clear, evidence-based insights that inspire informed and bold responses from citizens to researchers and world leaders.» Specifically, they recommend the rapid adoption of policies that:
- Encourage a shift toward eating habits that emphasize plant-based foods.
- Protect and restore biodiverse ecosystems, which play key roles in carbon cycling and storage.
- Integrate climate change education into global curricula to drive awareness, literacy and action.
- Improve energy efficiency and conservation while replacing fossil fuels with low-carbon renewable energy.
- Promote a sustainable green economy and greatly reduce overconsumption and waste by the rich.
- Curb greenhouse gas emissions, including those categorized as short-term pollutants, such as methane.
- Implement a global carbon price that could limit the emissions of the rich while providing funds for future climate action.
«Despite six reports from the International Panel on Climate Change, hundreds of other reports, tens of thousands of scientific articles and 28 annual meetings of the UN Conference of the Parties, the world has made very little progress on climate change. «Wolf said. «The future of humanity depends on creativity, moral fiber and perseverance. If future generations are to inherit the world they deserve, decisive and swift action is needed.»
This year’s meeting, officially the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, will be held from November 11 to 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan, and «it is imperative that great progress be made,» Ripple said.
About
Collaborating with Ripple, Wolf, Beverly Law of OSU, and Jillian W. Gregg of TERA on the climate report were Naomi Oreskes of Harvard University, Michael E. Mann of the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas M. Newsome of the University of Sydney, Chi Xu of Nanjing. University, Jens-Christian Svenning of Aarhus University, Timothy M. Lenton of the University of Exeter, Cássio Cardoso Pereira of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Stefan Rahmstorf and Johan Rockström of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Thomas W. Crowther of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
The CO2 Foundation and Roger Worthington, an attorney and owner of Worthy Brewing in Bend, Oregon, provided funding for this research.
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Attribution/Source(s):
This peer-reviewed publication was selected for publication by the editors of Disabled World due to its important relevance to the disability community. Originally written by Oregon State Universityand published on 10/8/2024, content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For more details or clarifications, Oregon State University You can contact him at oregonstate.edu. NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranty or endorsement related to this item.
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Cite this page (APA): Oregon State University. (2024, October 8). Scientists issue urgent warning about climate emergency. Disabled world. Retrieved October 9, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/emergency/climate/urgent-warning.php
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