New report reveals startling data

With one month to go until the next United Nations climate conference (COP 29) in Baku (Azerbaijan), a team of researchers is presenting a wealth of data. According to their report, 25 of the 35 “signs of planetary life” the team analyzed year after year reached record levels.

Most are bad for the climate. Under current policies, the global average temperature is expected to rise by 2.7 degrees by 2100.

The report of a team led by William Ripple of Oregon State University was published in the journal Biological Sciences.

multiple record values

Global warming has been predicted correctly for half a century, the team writes. “Despite these warnings, we are still heading in the wrong direction; fossil fuel emissions have risen to historically high levels,” warn the authors who assessed a large number of studies.

According to the report, some of the record-breaking signs of planetary life are:

his thesis

Energy-related greenhouse gas emissions will increase by 2.1% by 2023, reaching record levels: for the first time they are now equivalent to the climate impact of more than 40 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. The three largest emitters, China, the United States and India, together account for more than half of global emissions.

Coal-fired power plant in Shanxi Province, China.Image source: Getty Images AsiaPac

sea ​​areas

The ocean has never stored so much heat energy or had such high acidity as in 2023. Heat waves in 2021 and 2023 caused massive fish kills.

Rising sea temperatures are not only causing problems for fish, but also for coral reefs.Image: trapezoid

forest

In 2023, global forest fire losses also reached a record high of 11.9 million hectares. In 2023, total annual forest loss ranked third. Deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon are said to have declined.

farm animals

The number of livestock ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats) that emit the greenhouse gas methane has never been higher than in 2023.

A herd of cattle on the edge of the Brazilian rainforest.Image: trapezoid

vitality

Energy use from wind and solar power has also reached its highest level on record and will increase by 15% in 2023 compared with the previous year. However, they essentially appear to simply compensate for increased energy demand. “Fossil fuel consumption is still about 14 times greater than solar and wind energy consumption,” the study said. Fossil fuel subsidies hit a record high in 2022.

Traffic jams in Los Angeles.Photo credit: AP/AP

According to a survey cited by the author's team, climate researchers are not very optimistic: only 6% of 380 participants were confident of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees by 2024. 18% expect temperatures to be 2 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times, 35% expect temperatures to be 2.5 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times, and 26% expect temperatures to be 3 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times. The remaining 16% are even more pessimistic. “We are already in the midst of a climate change that threatens life on Earth to a level never before experienced by humans,” Ripple warned, according to a statement from his university.

There is a solution

“Infinite growth is a dangerous illusion in a world with limited resources,” the researchers write, proposing a solution: A rapid phase-out of fossil fuel use could be achieved in part by a sufficiently high global carbon price.” This limits emissions by the wealthy and could provide potential funding for urgently needed climate protection and adaptation programs.” Methane emissions should also cost money.

The expansion of solar energy is only a small part of the possible solutions.Image source: EPA/EPA

“We need bold, transformative changes: drastic reductions in overconsumption and waste, especially among the rich,” the researchers stress. Birth rates must also be reduced by strengthening education and the rights of girls and women. They also mentioned the promotion of plant-based nutrition and the introduction of ecological and non-growth-oriented economies to ensure social justice. Ecosystems need to be restored. “The future of humanity depends on our creativity, ethics and perseverance,” the team wrote. (former/sda)

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