At this very moment, humans are slowly but surely altering Earth’s climate, resulting in hotter summers, wetter storms, higher seas, and fiercer wildfires. Scientists have been warning for the past two decades that the warming caused by carbon emissions could push great systems in the natural world towards collapse.
One of the most concerning effects of climate change is the mass death of coral reefs. As temperatures rise, corals are bleaching at an alarming rate, with predictions that 70-90% of today’s reef-building corals could die in the coming decades. The collapse of these vibrant ecosystems would be irreversible.
Another worrying consequence is the abrupt thawing of permafrost, releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. The timing and extent of this thaw are uncertain but could have significant impacts on global warming.
The Greenland Ice Sheet and West Antarctic Ice are also at risk of irreversible melting, which could contribute to rising sea levels. The West African monsoon and the Amazon rainforest are also threatened by climate change, with potentially devastating consequences for the region’s biodiversity and weather patterns.
Finally, the shutdown of Atlantic currents, caused by Greenland’s melting ice, could disrupt global temperatures and rainfall patterns. It is crucial to address these risks, even if the probability of occurrence in the near future is relatively small. The consequences of inaction could be catastrophic and irreversible.