{"id":13721,"date":"2018-09-02T12:48:43","date_gmt":"2018-09-02T02:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/?p=13721"},"modified":"2018-09-03T11:40:46","modified_gmt":"2018-09-03T01:40:46","slug":"last-call-on-climate-evidence-for-a-demise-of-the-planetary-life-support-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/?p=13721","title":{"rendered":"Last call on climate – evidence for a demise of the planetary life support system."},"content":{"rendered":"

Andrew Glikson.<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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MK_KV7140. Presidency Maldives. flickr cc.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a key paper titled \u201cTrajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene<\/em><\/a>“<\/strong>, published in the Proceedings of the US National Academy of Science on 6 August, a group of 17 climate and environment scientists issued a stern warning to humanity about the future of advanced life on Earth.
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The paper states:<\/p>\n

We explore the risk that self-reinforcing feedbacks could push the Earth System toward a planetary threshold that, if crossed, could prevent stabilisation of the climate at intermediate temperature rises and cause continued warming on a ‘Hothouse Earth’ pathway even as human emissions are reduced. Crossing the threshold would lead to a much higher global average temperature than any interglacial in the past 1.2 million years and to sea levels significantly higher than at any time in the Holocene.<\/p>\n

We examine the evidence that such a threshold might exist and where it might be. If the threshold is crossed, the resulting trajectory would likely cause serious disruptions to ecosystems, society, and economies.<\/p>\n

Collective human action is required to steer the Earth System away from a potential threshold and stabilise it in a habitable interglacial-like state.<\/p>\n

Such action entails stewardship of the entire Earth System\u2014biosphere, climate, and societies\u2014and could include de-carbonisation of the global economy, enhancement of biosphere carbon sinks, behavioural changes, technological innovations, new governance arrangements, and transformed social values.<\/p>\n

In addition, an essential requirement for down-draw of atmospheric CO2<\/sub> is needed if the other methods prove to be insufficient.<\/p>\n

Key points reported on the ABC<\/a> by Elise Pianegonda\u00a0on 7 August:<\/p>\n