"They also say that without rapid action to curb greenhouse-gas emissions, other systems on Earth will also soon reach planetary tipping points, thresholds for profound changes that cannot be rolled back. We can no longer talk about tipping points as a future risk, says Steve Smith, a social scientist at the University of Exeter, UK, and a lead author on a report released today about how close Earth is to reaching roughly 20 planetary tipping points."
"Led by Smith and other scientists at the University of Exeter, the report assesses the risk of breaching tipping points such as ice-sheet collapse, rising seas and dieback of the Amazon rainforest. It also discusses progress towards various positive tipping points focused on social and economic change, such as the adoption of clean energy. The group's first such assessment, released less than two years ago, raised alarms but did not officially declare that any climate tipping points had been reached."
Surging global temperatures have caused widespread coral reef decline, pushing reef ecosystems past a climate tipping point for the first time and severely impacting areas such as the Great Barrier Reef. About 20 planetary tipping points were evaluated, identifying risks including ice-sheet collapse, rising seas and Amazon rainforest dieback. Some positive social and economic tipping points are showing progress, including accelerating clean-energy adoption. Recent temperature spikes increase the likelihood of breaching additional planetary thresholds. Rapid reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions are required to avoid irreversible, profound changes across multiple Earth systems.
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