The world is in danger of hitting the point of no return for five of EarthB次元官网网址檚 natural systems because of human-caused climate change, a team of 200 scientists said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United NationsB次元官网网址� climate summit.

The report on so-called B次元官网网址渢ipping pointsB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� moments when the Earth has warmed so much that certain side effects become irreversible B次元官网网址� looks at 26 different systems and points to five of them B次元官网网址� the melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, the dying off of warm-water coral reefs, the thawing of permafrost and impacts to a North Atlantic ocean current B次元官网网址� as close to triggering.

B次元官网网址淭hese tipping points pose threats of a magnitude that has never been faced before by humanity,B次元官网网址� said Tim Lenton, the reportB次元官网网址檚 lead author and Earth systems scientist and the University of Exeter in the U.K.

The warnings come as negotiators discuss how best to slash emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas at the United NationsB次元官网网址� COP28 climate summit. This year , and activists and officials alike have been ramping up their warnings that governments need to do more to curb global warming.

And those in vulnerable regions are already seeing the start of these effects.

In the Himalayas for example, glaciers are melting at such a rate that landslides, floods and other erratic weather has become common, said Izabella Koziell, from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. Coral bleaching B次元官网网址� which happens when the water is too hot B次元官网网址� is blighting oceans from Australia to Florida. And some ice sheets near EarthB次元官网网址檚 poles are disappearing at an alarming rate.

Tipping points B次元官网网址渃an trigger devastating domino effects, including the loss of whole ecosystems,B次元官网网址� Lenton said.

C. R. Babu of the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems at University of Delhi, agreed that Earth warming past 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial times may mean B次元官网网址渢he extinction of natural systems.B次元官网网址�

Abhilash S from Cochin University of Science and Technology said it was almost certain that B次元官网网址渟ome natural systems will be permanently damaged.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淧rotecting them is beyond our control,B次元官网网址� he warned. B次元官网网址淲e have already lost that chance.B次元官网网址�

But the reportB次元官网网址檚 bleak outlook is tempered with a message of hope, as researchers say there are positive tipping points that can be reached too, particularly in the transition from planet-warming fossil fuels to renewable energy, people changing to plant-based diets and social movements.

B次元官网网址淗uman history is full of examples of abrupt social and technological change,B次元官网网址� said University of ExeterB次元官网网址檚 Steve Smith. B次元官网网址淢any areas of society have the potential to be B次元官网网址榯ippedB次元官网网址� in this way.B次元官网网址�

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