By Paul Homewood
Critical elements in the Earth’s climate may be more likely to break down than previously thought, according to a group of scientists.
Their commentary in the journal Nature says there’s growing evidence that irreversible climatic changes could be triggered within a few decades.
The authors claim this could lead to a “climatic emergency” in which one shift amplifies another.
But other researchers say the argument is speculative.
The authors specialise in what’s known as Earth Systems Science, which studies the interactions of elements of the climate system.
For several years they have been promoting the theory that the climate may switch suddenly as a result of one climatic shift amplifying other changes.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) introduced this idea of “tipping points” two decades ago.
The commentary says that at the time these large-scale shifts were considered likely only if global warming exceeded 5C.
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