The ecological vital signs of the planet are in dire shape, according to an updated report endorsed by almost 14,000 scientists.
The very first sentence of the study points out that the panel of scientists declared a climate change emergency that would cause “untold suffering” back in 2019. And the rest of the paper explains how nearly every single measurement — save for a few exceptions like increased solar energy adoption — is now worse than before.
The scientists behind the updated report recommend taking three crucial steps to mitigate some of that suffering by taking corrective action here and now. These steps are :-
- First, they say that we as a planet need to stop using and ban fossil fuels
- Then we need to impose a “significant” price on carbon in order to discourage emissions
- and finally we need to protect and restore the planet’s various forests, wetlands, and other natural carbon sinks in order to get things back on track.
Implementing these three policies soon will help ensure the long-term sustainability of human civilization and give future generations the opportunity to thrive.
A major lesson from COVID-19 is that even colossally decreased transportation and consumption are not nearly enough and that, instead, transformational system changes are required, and they must rise above politics.
The updated planetary vital signs reflect the consequences of unrelenting “business as usual” mind set even after the pandemic we all are currently facing.
Reference- Live Science, Journal BioScience, Futurism, National Geographic, IPCC Report