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https://theconversation.com/what-are-climate-tipping-points-they-sound-scary-especially-for-ice-sheets-and-oceans-but-theres-still-room-for-optimism-265183>
"As the planet warms, it risks crossing catastrophic tipping points: thresholds
where Earth systems, such as ice sheets and rain forests, change irreversibly
over human lifetimes.
Scientists have long warned that if global temperatures warmed more than 1.5
degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared with before the Industrial
Revolution, and stayed high, they would increase the risk of passing multiple
tipping points. For each of these elements, like the Amazon rain forest or the
Greenland ice sheet, hotter temperatures lead to melting ice or drier forests
that leave the system more vulnerable to further changes.
Worse, these systems can interact. Freshwater melting from the Greenland ice
sheet can weaken ocean currents in the North Atlantic, disrupting air and ocean
temperature patterns and marine food chains.
With these warnings in mind, 194 countries a decade ago set 1.5 C as a goal
they would try not to cross. Yet in 2024, the planet temporarily breached that
threshold.
The term “tipping point” is often used to illustrate these problems, but
apocalyptic messages can leave people feeling helpless, wondering if it’s
pointless to slam the brakes. As a geoscientist who has studied the ocean and
climate for over a decade and recently spent a year on Capitol Hill working on
bipartisan climate policy, I still see room for optimism.
It helps to understand what a tipping point is – and what’s known about when
each might be reached."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
