As it sounds like an impossible mission, other studies yet reveal that the actions we are taking now make a positive difference faster than expected. Facing that reality, we need, more than ever, a strong and global collaboration to tackle climate change.
As part of the same community, we wanted to share the stories of some of our fellow companions and keep raising awareness about how critical the situation already is.
Climate Connectors from Pakistan have encountered terrible flood disasters. Hefty monsoon rains lasting several days and weeks have flooded large parts of Pakistan. In Africa, too, people are struggling with the effects of the changing climate because the population is suffering from a severe drought, and the associated crop failures across the continent are causing the death of the weakest.
If we all have thoughts for those suffering, thinking alone won't be enough. We need to act.
There is a strong urge to act!
To respect 1,5° objectives, global emissions need to peak in two to three years, be halved by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. This will only be possible through massive and global cooperation at all levels of society, politics and the economy.
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According to the current IPCC report, there is only a theoretical remaining chance of maintaining 1.5 degrees: the blue line (SSP1-1.5).
Today we wanted to highlight that climate does not behave linearly. Once certain boundaries are reached, there is no way back. Those are named tipping points. When crossed, they are irreversible, even if we would later lower our emissions. Tipping points can also trigger each other and lead to a cascade.
These four tipping points would drastically change the world's climate and induce chain reactions effects:
The ice sheets on Greenland are melting. The large ice shield is almost 3,000 kilometres high making the highest point much cooler than the lowest point. As the ice-shield shrinks, it enters warmer air and will keep melting even if temperatures stabilise.
Vast land masses in North America and Siberia are permanently frozen but slowly thaw as temperatures rise. Microorganisms release much carbon dioxide and methane, which fuels climate change 30 times more. The warmer it gets around the North Pole, the more permafrost softens.
Vanishing Forests
More warmth and less rain could transform the Amazon rainforest and the coniferous forests of the north into bush landscapes. This would mean that these green lungs would no longer bind carbon dioxide but release it and further heat up the greenhouse effect.
The decline of the Gulf Stream
The melting Greenland glaciers are weakening the Gulf Stream, which brings warm water from the Caribbean to the North Atlantic. This will increase weather extremes in Europe. In addition, the acidification of seawater is threatening corals and shellfish, which could topple entire ecosystems.
Avoiding those tipping points would require all states and stakeholders to work together and act swiftly, which in today's world sounds almost impossible. Yet a time is not at despair. It's never too late to act. And we must do it together to prevent those tipping points from being reached...or the next.
But we are not as powerless as we thought since the last IPCC report highlighted that our actions are taking effect faster than we expected.
Unlike what we thought before, recent studies showed that the benefits of stopping emissions would become apparent after just a few years, not decades. This is based on recent climate models that take into account the more dynamic nature and direct impact of the rate of uptake of greenhouse gases by carbon sinks such as forests and oceans. In addition, as more and more people commit themselves to climate protection, it can exponentially scale up positive changes. However, we still need more people who actively participate because action is and will always be the only way to make a difference.
We all need to work now, and Climate Connet wants to help and make it easier for everyone to take action. We unite all actors involved in climate protection so that it is easier to work together and promote knowledge exchange. That's why we want to motivate you to join a project on Climate Connect. If you are already an actor in your own project, you can inspire other people around you to join it or connect your project with similar projects on Climate Connect to have a more significant impact.
We are thousands, we will be millions, and together we will show that solutions exist and change is already happening.
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