Dr. Genevieve Guenther Profile picture
Founding Director @EndClimtSilence | Affiliate Faculty @NewSchoolTEDC | Next book: "The Language of Climate Politics" @OxUniPress

Oct 25, 2023, 12 tweets

Today @WilliamJRipple et al released the 2023 report on the terrifying state of our #climate.

It should be read by every policymaker, decisionmaker, and journalist on the planet.

Here is a thread of some key takeaways.

1/n

"Unfortunately, time is up."

"The rapid pace of change has surprised scientists and caused concern about the dangers of extreme weather, risky climate feedback loops, and the approach of damaging tipping points sooner than expected."

3/n

[for the visual thinkers among us]

4/n

"It appears the green recovery following COVID-19 that many had hoped for has largely failed to materialize. Instead, carbon emissions have continued soaring, and fossil fuels remain dominant, with annual coal consumption reaching a near all-time high."

5/n

"By [2100], an estimated 3 to 6 billion individuals—approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of the global population—might find themselves confined beyond the livable region, encountering severe heat, limited food availability, & elevated mortality rates because of...climate change"

6/n

"We ... need to change our economy to a system that supports meeting basic needs for all people instead of excessive consumption by the wealthy."

7/n

"Negative emissions technologies are in an early stage of development, posing uncertainties regarding their effectiveness, scalability, and environmental and societal impacts ... [Thus] we should not rely on unproven carbon removal techniques."

8/n

"We call for an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report that focuses on the perilous climate feedback loops, tipping points, and—just as a precaution—the possible but less likely scenario of runaway or apocalyptic climate change."

9/n

"As scientists, we are increasingly being asked to tell the public the truth ... in simple and direct terms. The truth is that we are shocked by the ferocity of the extreme weather events in 2023. We are afraid of the uncharted territory that we have now entered."

10/n

"This is our moment to make a profound difference for all life on Earth, and we must embrace it with unwavering courage and determination to create a legacy of change that will stand the test of time."

11/n

Here is a link to the report. Please read it. If you're a journalist, please cover it. Thank you!

#EndClimateSilence
#EndFossilFuels
#LoveYourChildren



12/12academic.oup.com/bioscience/adv…

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