WITH THE "OVEREXPLOITATION OF THE EARTH"

THE "VITAL SIGNS" OF THE PLANET ARE WEAKENING

In their text published in the journal Bioscience, a group of 14,000 scientists, who advocated the declaration of a global climate emergency, believe that governments have systematically failed to tackle the causes of climate change: “ overexploitation of the Earth ”.

Since an assessment in 2019, they have already highlighted the "unprecedented increase" in climatic disasters, from floods to heatwaves, through cyclones and fires.

Earth is absorbing more and more heat, causing energy imbalance and global warming, according to NASA and NOAA

18 out of 31 vital signs hit records

While climate disasters have been linked in recent months, scientists estimate that of the 31 "vital signs" of the planet (greenhouse gas emissions, melting ice, deforestation, etc.), 18 are reaching records.

For example, they warn that glaciers are melting 31% faster than fifteen years ago, that deforestation in the Amazon reached a record high in 2020, turning this crucial carbon sink into a net emitter of CO2. Or that greenhouse gas emissions have reached a level never seen in 2021.

And with a record over 4 billion head of cattle, including cows and sheep, the mass of cattle now exceeds that of humans and wild animals combined.

Quick and radical measures

"We need to respond to the evidence that shows we are heading towards climate breaking points, taking urgent action to decarbonize the economy and start restoring nature rather than destroying it," said one of the authors, Tim Lenton, UK University of Exeter. The authors believe that there is indeed "growing evidence that we are approaching, if not already passed" some of the tipping points that could lead the climate system to a dramatic and irremediable change. This included e t melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, which could be irreversible across several centuries even if CO2 emissions were reduced.

Another possible point of no return: the coral reefs threatened in particular by global warming, and on which half a billion people depend.

Stop overexploiting resources

The authors therefore believe that rapid and radical action is necessary in several areas: eliminating fossil fuels, reducing pollution, restoring ecosystems, opting for plant-based diets, moving away from the current growth model and stabilize the world population.