Scientists warn that Earth’s ‘habitability’ at risk

We’ve been warned. Runaway global warming on our planet remains a distinct possibility in the decades and centuries ahead, scientists reported Monday in a new study, warning that a “hothouse Earth” threatens the very “habitability of the planet for human beings.”

Such a hothouse climate would see global average temperatures some 6 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit higher than they are now, with sea levels 30 to 200 feet higher than today, the paper said.

Even if the carbon emission reductions called for in the Paris Agreement are met – meaning a rise of no more than 3.6 degrees above preindustrial levels – that still may not be enough.

Scientists at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the Australian National University and other institutions made their forecast by reviewing past reports on tipping points for climate change.

Global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, which release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and oceans.

The paper said that a hothouse Earth trajectory almost certainly would cause widespread river flooding, increase the risk of damage from coastal storms, and eliminate coral reefs by the end of this century or earlier.

Study lead author Will Steffen said “our study suggests that human-induced global warming of (3.6 degrees) may trigger other Earth system processes, often called ‘feedbacks,’ that can drive further warming – even if we stop emitting greenhouse gases.”

“These tipping elements can potentially act like a row of dominoes,” said study co-author Johan Rockstrom of the Stockholm Resilience Centre.