Phys.org: Earth Risks Tipping Into “Hothouse” State

Consequences of humans’ over-reliance on fossil fuels are rapidly unfolding, and failure to transition to a green economy could put Earth into a permanent “hothouse state” with many uninhabitable areas, warns a study published by the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers reviewed the fossil record for previous conditions and cascading effects and urge immediate lifestyle change. “Fossil fuels must be replaced with low or zero emissions energy sources, and there should be more strategies for absorbing carbon emissions such as ending deforestation and planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide,” reports Kerry Sheridan for Phys.org. “Soil management, better farming practices, land and coastal conservation and carbon capture technologies are also on the list of actions.” Threats that could speed climate change include mass forest die-offs, less absorption of carbon dioxide by fewer forests, ocean saturation, released methane from melting permafrost, and less snow cover and polar ice that increase the planet’s temperatures. The article concludes by noting that a world warmer by 4 degrees Celsius could reduce Earth’s capacity for people to 1 billion. The population is now 7.6 billion, a total anticipated to rise to 10 billion by the end of the century. – YaleGlobal