Anton G. Camarota, PhD’s Post

The message cannot be any clearer. "In a world with finite resources, unlimited growth is a perilous illusion. We need bold, transformative change: drastically reducing overconsumption and waste, especially by the affluent, stabilizing and gradually reducing the human population through empowering education and rights for girls and women, reform- ing food production systems to support more plant-based eating, and adopting an ecological and post-growth economics frame- work that ensures social justice ( Table S4). Climate change instruction should be integrated into secondary and higher education core curriculums worldwide to raise awareness, improve cli- mate literacy, and empower learners to take action. We also need more immediate efforts to protect, restore, or rewild ecosystems. The surge in yearly climate disasters shows we are in a major crisis with worse to come if we continue with business as usual. Today, more than ever, our actions matter for the stable climate system that has supported us for thousands of years. Humanity’s future depends on our creativity, moral fiber, and perseverance. We must urgently reduce ecological overshoot and pursue immediate large-scale climate change mitigation and adaptation to limit near-term damage. Only through decisive action can we safeguard the natural world, avert profound human suffering, and ensure that future generations inherit the livable world they de- serve. The future of humanity hangs in the balance." https://lnkd.in/gyMCM6r4

Could the warnings be any clearer? “We are on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster. This is a global emergency beyond any doubt. Much of the very fabric of life on Earth is imperiled. We are stepping into a critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis. For many years, scientists, including a group of more than 15,000, have sounded the alarm about the impending dangers of climate change driven by increasing greenhouse gas emissions and ecosystem change (Ripple et al. 2020). For half a century, global warming has been correctly predicted even before it was observed—and not only by independent academic scientists but also by fossil fuel companies (Supran et al. 2023). Despite these warnings, we are still moving in the wrong direction; fossil fuel emissions have increased to an all-time high, the 3 hottest days ever occurred in July of 2024 (Guterres 2024), and current policies have us on track for approximately 2.7 degrees Celsius (°C) peak warming by 2100 (UNEP 2023). Tragically, we are failing to avoid serious impacts, and we can now only hope to limit the extent of the damage. We are witnessing the grim reality of the forecasts as climate impacts escalate, bringing forth scenes of unprecedented disasters around the world and human and nonhuman suffering. We find ourselves amid an abrupt climate upheaval, a dire situation never before encountered in the annals of human existence. We have now brought the planet into climatic conditions never witnessed by us or our prehistoric relatives within our genus, Homo (supplemental figure S1; CenCO2PIP Consortium et al. 2023).” https://lnkd.in/gmC76Wkw

Some social sustainability thoughts for today. https://lnkd.in/guQDjiw9

This study reinforces the knowledge concerning global fluctuations in temperature along with the role of CO2 in affecting those changes. "The GMST curve reveals that Earth’s temperature ranged from 52° to 97°F (11° to 36°C) over the last 485 million years, with periods of extreme heat linked to elevated CO2 levels in the atmosphere. "This research illustrates clearly that carbon dioxide is the dominant control on global temperatures across geological time," Tierney noted. "When CO2 is low, the temperature is cold; when CO2 is high, the temperature is warm." "Presently, Earth’s average temperature of 59°F (15°C) is cooler than much of the Phanerozoic, yet human-caused climate change is warming the planet at an unprecedented rate. The researchers highlight that this rapid warming is causing sea levels to rise and putting ecosystems at risk. “Our entire species evolved in an 'ice house' climate, which doesn’t reflect most of geological history,” Tierney said. “We are changing the climate into a place that is really out of context for humans. The planet has been and can be warmer—but humans and animals can't adapt that fast.” https://lnkd.in/g8RsYQMj

Contrary to the negative press surrounding the American political scene, there are still people doing good things in the world. https://lnkd.in/gUDfRZbu

https://lnkd.in/gxYrpQcw