• About
    • Which Energy Mix is this?
  • Climate News Network Archive
  • Contact
Celebrating our 1,000th edition. The climate news you need
No Result
View All Result
The Energy Mix
  • Canada
  • UK & Europe
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Ending Emissions
  • Community Climate Finance
  • Clean Electricity Grid
  • Cities & Communities
SUBSCRIBE
DONATE
  • Canada
  • UK & Europe
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Ending Emissions
  • Community Climate Finance
  • Clean Electricity Grid
  • Cities & Communities
SUBSCRIBE
DONATE
No Result
View All Result
The Energy Mix
No Result
View All Result
  FEATURED
BREAKING: U.S. Senate Passes Historic $369B Climate Package August 7, 2022
Researchers Point To ‘Dangerously Unexplored’ Risk of Global Climate Catastrophe August 2, 2022
Koch Network Pressures Manchin, Sinema as Advocates Praise ‘Game Changing’ Climate Deal August 2, 2022
Coastal GasLink Cost Skyrockets 70% to $11.2B August 2, 2022
Ottawa Releases Regulatory ‘Frame’ for Net-Zero Grid by 2035 August 2, 2022
Next
Prev

Study of Climate Tipping Points Shows Need for Rapid Carbon Cuts

May 3, 2021
Reading time: 3 minutes

lubasi/Wikimedia Commons

lubasi/Wikimedia Commons

 

A new study concludes it may still be possible to temporarily exceed the environmental “tipping points” that would signal a drastic deepening of the climate crisis—but only with rapid action to address those impacts and drive down the greenhouse gas emissions at the root of the problem.

The research has one expert warning that the natural world is a “delicate balance of systems”, and it’s still difficult to identify the precise points when key tipping points—like the dieback of the Amazon rainforest, or melting of major ice sheets—will occur.

“It is thought that climate change has several ‘tipping points’—thresholds for change which, when reached, result in a process that is difficult to reverse,” the London Evening Standard explains. The new study in the journal Nature says those thresholds “could be ‘temporarily exceeded’ without causing irreversible damage, provided swift action is taken.”

The UK scientists behind the study “add the time available to act would depend on the level of global warming and the time scale involved in each tipping point,” the Standard says.

“The more extreme the warming, the less time we would have to prevent tipping points,” said lead author Dr. Paul Ritchie of the University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute.

“This is especially true for fast-onset tipping points like Amazon forest dieback and disruption to monsoons, where irreversible change could take place in a matter of decades,” he added. “Slow-onset tipping points take place over a time scale of many centuries and—depending on the level of warming—this would give us more time to act.”

While the 1.5°C target in the 2015 Paris Agreement was meant to give humanity a two-in-three chance of averting those impacts, countries are still far off track with their Paris commitments. And the Standard says researchers consider it “almost inevitable” that future emissions will exceed the limit.

Scientists commenting on the study stressed that it mustn’t be seen as diminishing the urgency of faster, deeper carbon cuts.

“Ideally, we will not cross tipping point thresholds, but this gives hope we may be able to pull back from danger if needed,” Dr. Chris Huntingford of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology told the Standard.

“Although this study is encouraging in suggesting we can avoid irreversible damage to the planet, we should not look at climate tipping points like a see saw,” cautioned University of Reading natural hazards researcher Prof. Hannah Cloke. “By definition, once a tipping point is surpassed, there is no coming back. What this research does confirm is that by acting quickly to curb global warming we can give ourselves more time to change course and avoid surpassing the point of no return.”

The study “clearly shows another important aspect of the agency by humans,” added Valerio Lucarini, professor of statistical mechanics at the University of Reading. It also demonstrates that “a rapid realignment of climate policies towards more sustainable levels can avoid irreversible changes in the climate system.”

But “the natural world is a delicate balance of systems, and dramatically altering one can cause others to fall like a house of cards,” Lucarini said. “Research to estimate where these tipping points lie is improving all the time, but it remains difficult to pinpoint them.”



in Biodiversity & Habitat, Climate & Society, Climate Impacts & Adaptation, COP Conferences, Forests & Deforestation, Ice Loss & Sea Level Rise, International Agencies & Studies, Severe Storms & Flooding

The latest climate news and analysis, direct to your inbox

Subscribe

Related Posts

Bernard Spragg/flickr
Energy Politics

$12.3B in Profit over 3 Months as Big Fossils Reject Federal Emissions Cap

August 11, 2022
2
Σ64/Wikimedia Commons
Hydrogen

Global Push for Hydrogen Sidesteps Knowledge Gaps on Climate Impacts

August 11, 2022
3
Protect The Planet
Pipelines / Rail Transport

Trans Mountain Work Site Blocks Early Salmon Run on Coquihalla River, Local Observers Say

August 11, 2022
1

Comments 2

  1. David Wilson says:
    1 year ago

    No byline or attribution?

    Reply
    • Mitchell Beer says:
      1 year ago

      Thanks, David. The link and the attribution are in the story.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Trending Stories

Joseph Brent/Flickr

Green Hydrogen Will Cost Less than Fossil-Fuelled ‘Blue’, Shell CEO Admits

August 7, 2022
690
Early stages of construction on the Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor in France

Failing French Nuclear Plants Drive Up Electricity Costs as Heat Waves Cut Production

August 8, 2022
393
François GOGLINS/wikimedia commons

Corrosion Problem Shutters Half of France’s Nuclear Reactors

August 2, 2022
1.3k
Brian Jeffery Beggerly/Wikimedia Commons

China’s Latest Renewables Plan Could Bridge Global 1.5°C Gap, Expert Says

August 9, 2022
203
openthegovernment.org

BREAKING: U.S. Senate Passes Historic $369B Climate Package

August 8, 2022
372
/MaxPixels

‘Substantial Damage’, No Injuries as Freight Train Hits Wind Turbine Blade

May 25, 2022
5.7k

Recent Posts

Bernard Spragg/flickr

$12.3B in Profit over 3 Months as Big Fossils Reject Federal Emissions Cap

August 11, 2022
2
Σ64/Wikimedia Commons

Global Push for Hydrogen Sidesteps Knowledge Gaps on Climate Impacts

August 11, 2022
3
Protect The Planet

Trans Mountain Work Site Blocks Early Salmon Run on Coquihalla River, Local Observers Say

August 11, 2022
1

Focus Blame for Climate Change on Fossils and Governments, Ecoanalytics Advises

August 11, 2022
3
TheKurgan/Wikipedia

Ontario Pension Giant May Be Getting the Memo on Fossil Divestment, Members Say

August 11, 2022
1
@stan_sdcollins/Twitter

Stranded Communities Hope for Emergency Food Supplies as Newfoundland Wildfires Rage

August 11, 2022
3
Next Post
Grassy Mountain Coal Mine

B.C. First Nation Calls for Federal Environmental Review of Alberta Coal Mine Plan

The Energy Mix

Copyright 2022 © Smarter Shift Inc. and Energy Mix Productions Inc. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy and Copyright
  • Cookie Policy

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Canada
  • UK & Europe
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Ending Emissions
  • Community Climate Finance
  • Clean Electricity Grid
  • Cities & Communities

Copyright 2022 © Smarter Shift Inc. and Energy Mix Productions Inc. All rights reserved.

Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}