Earth’s ‘vital signs’ show humanity’s future in balance, experts sayRecord emissions, temperatures and population mean more scientists are looking into the possibility of societal collapse, report saysBy Damian Carrington / The GuardianMany of Earth’s “vital signs” have hit record extremes, indicating that “the future of humanity hangs in the balance,” a group of the world’s most senior climate experts have said. “Climate change has already displaced millions of people, with the potential to displace hundreds of millions or even billions. That would likely lead to greater geopolitical instability, possibly even partial societal collapse,” he said. “Climate change is a glaring symptom of a deeper systemic issue: Ecological overshoot, [which] is an inherently unstable state that cannot persist indefinitely. Even in the absence of global collapse, climate change could cause many millions of additional deaths by 2050.

Source: Taipei Times October 10, 2024 17:38 UTC