We are near tipping points that will make the climate crisis worse

As Hurricane Milton hits the United States, leading climate scientists warn we are close to crossing crucial tipping points.

William J. Ripple is a distinguished professor at Oregon State University and Director of the Alliance of World Scientists. Johan Rockström is a professor in Earth system science at the University of Potsdam and director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Several things concern climate scientists today. Despite policy commitments, the world is not reducing unsustainable pressures on the planet. Time is running out as we approach the halfway point of the decisive decade that will shape the future. We have also underestimated the risks: warming is increasing faster than expected. If we cross ‘tipping points’, we enter a situation of accelerated change that is more dangerous than the extreme weather events that we are already facing today.

In our 2024 State of the Climate Report, we provide an update on the climate crisis, track Earth’s vital signs, and document how the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have escalated at an alarming rate. Devastating hurricanes, unrelenting heatwaves, catastrophic floods, and wildfires have ravaged communities across the globe. The once predictable rhythms of the natural world have been replaced by an unforgiving climate, where the boundaries between seasons blur, and the whims of nature become increasingly erratic.

Source: ECEEE