Study warns of imminent climate tipping points
A new study says 16 parts of our planet—like the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, Arctic sea ice, mountain glaciers, boreal permafrost, the Amazon rainforest, and a major Atlantic current—are closer to "tipping points" than we thought.
If these systems tip over, they could push global temperatures up by as much as 5°C over the long term.
Feedback loops could worsen the situation
Ten of these tipping points could actually make warming worse through feedback loops.
For example: melting ice reflects less sunlight and thawing permafrost releases more greenhouse gasses.
Even if we cut emissions later on, crossing these lines might lock in hotter temps over the long term.
Urgent action needed to prevent irreversible changes
This isn't just about distant places—it's about our future.
The choices we make now could decide whether Earth stays livable or shifts into a much hotter state that's tough to reverse.