Dear Colleagues, Friends,
I just signed the #ScientistsWarningToHumanity climate emergency initiative. This letter is recently in-press with BioScience Magazine. If you are a scientist you can support this new initiative by reading, sharing this and adding your signature here: http://scientistswarning.forestry.oregonstate.edu/.
Here is a condensed version by the authors:
World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency (Condensed Version)
William J. Ripple, Christopher Wolf, Thomas M. Newsome, xxxx scientist signatories from xxx countries
We scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of any great existential threat. In this paper, we present a suite of graphical vital signs of climate change over the last 40 years. Results show greenhouse gas emissions are still rising, with increasingly damaging effects. With few exceptions, we are largely failing to address this predicament. The climate crisis has arrived and is accelerating faster than many scientists expected. It is more severe than anticipated, threatening natural ecosystems and the fate of humanity. We suggest six critical and interrelated steps that governments and the rest of humanity can take to lessen the worst effects of climate change, covering 1) Energy, 2) Short-lived pollutants, 3) Nature, 4) Food, 5) Economy, and 6) Population. Mitigating and adapting to climate change entails transformations in the ways we govern, manage, feed, and fulfill material and energy requirements. We are encouraged by a recent global surge of concern. Governmental bodies are making climate emergency declarations. The Pope issued an encyclical on climate change. Schoolchildren are striking. Ecocide lawsuits are proceeding in the courts. Grassroots citizen movements are demanding change. As scientists, we urge widespread use of our vital signs and anticipate that graphical indicators will better allow policymakers and the public to understand the magnitude of this crisis, track progress, and realign priorities to alleviate climate change. The good news is that such transformative change, with social and ecological justice, promises greater human wellbeing in the long-run than business as usual. We believe that prospects will be greatest if policy makers and the rest of humanity promptly respond to our warning and declaration of a climate emergency, and act to sustain life on planet Earth, our only home.
William J. Ripple email: [email protected]
Thank you for starting this discussion and sharing the information Marie! I have just signed the letter too. Also, a couple of links here presenting the massive ice melting happening in Greenland these days from: an Italian newspaper and democracynow.org
https://www.repubblica.it/ambiente/2019/08/03/news/ondata_caldo_groenlandia_ghiacci_si_sciolgono_a_ritmi_mai_visti-232673369/?ref=RHPPLF-BH-I232682873-C8-P1-S1.8-F8#gallery-slider=232671112
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/8/2/greenland_melting_climate_crisis_jason_box
An obvious choice; I also am in the management of wind power research - a small piece of the puzzle - and hope we can get the tide sweeping in the right direction.
While it is a great initiative, I am saddened by the importance the political systems, especially in the developing and stagnant countries address it. They write good speeches but nothing concrete is done. Populations are still in total inhumane conditions and in their struggles to survive, they consider the environment least. Governments here should be pressured to lessen the poverty burden on their people so that everyone should be involved in this humanity existential struggle. Once more, I appreciative and endorse this initiative. Shalom
Bernard Ayongaba: Well, we do what we can from our position... But all of us can help by our piece to redesign the public mind and hopefully the political systems...
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