Environmental News Network - Positive Tipping Points Must be Triggered to Solve Climate Crisis

Details: By University of Exeter; 21.Dec

Positive tipping points must be triggered if we are to avoid the severe consequences of damaging Earth system tipping points, researchers say.

Cheryl Porter

Positive tipping points must be triggered if we are to avoid the severe consequences of damaging Earth system tipping points, researchers say.

With global warming on course to breach 1.5oC, there is an increasing risk of triggering Earth system tipping points.

Once triggered, Earth system tipping points would have profound local and global impacts, including sea-level rise from major ice sheet melting, mass species extinction from dieback of the Amazon rainforest and disruption to weather patterns from a collapse of large-scale ocean circulation currents.

The new commentary – published in One Earth by researchers from the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter – says positive tipping points must be triggered to help reach the levels of decarbonisation required.

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Positive Tipping Points Must be Triggered to Solve Climate Crisis