Scientists have warned that we may be heading down an "irreversible pathway" towards environmental collapse
Humanity may have pushed the environment to the threshold of a disastrous “hothouse Earth” scenario.
Scientists have warned that we may be heading down an "irreversible pathway" towards crippling temperatures, environmental collapse and huge sea level rises.
A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that Earth may be decades away from a climatic tipping point that triggers runaway global warming.
Their study shows it could happen if global temperatures rise by 2C, which they are currently on course to do.
Environmentalists have warned that drastic action must be taken – as the future of humanity is at stake.
Dr Sam Gardner, acting director of WWF Scotland, said: "Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing nature and people. It means extreme weather such as the heatwave scorching the UK and Europe could become the new normal.
“Scotland has demonstrated climate leadership in the past, to continue to do so it must use the upcoming climate change bill to set a clear commitment to net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. We know this is the minimum level of ambition science dictates if we are to come close to playing our full part in preventing runaway climate change.
“Earlier this year a dozen of the world’s leading climate scientists including Professors from Cambridge, Oxford, London, Edinburgh and Aberdeen universities urged the Scottish Government to adopt a target for net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.”
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s director Dr Richard Dixon added: “Heatwaves threaten to kill thousands every year in the future. With record temperatures, widespread wildfires and continuing droughts around the world, this summer has been a wake-up call on climate change.
“Scotland has seen crops wilting in fields, trains running at reduced speed and water shortage warnings, while other countries have seen much worse, including hundreds of deaths. Holidaymakers died on the beach in Greece, California looks set for another record-breaking fire season and temperatures in Spain and Portugal were forecast to reach above 45ºC.”
“The weather is sending us very clear signals that our climate is changing in major ways. As records break we enter new territory for the planet and we should be worried. Some extra summer heat is no doubt welcome for many but the bigger picture is of bigger storms, more floods and more severe heatwaves.
“To avoid the worst consequences of climate change, we need to reduce the climate emissions from transport, industry and farming as rapidly as possible. With a new climate bill already in the Scottish Parliament we need politicians from all parties to set tougher targets and put in place the policies that will move us rapidly towards a fossil-free Scotland.”
