Scientists issue climate warning

More than 11,000 scientists signed a climate crisis statement this week calling for ‘major transformations in the ways our global society functions’. The leading academics – from 153 countries – said ‘untold suffering’ will result from failure to act.

Published in the journal BioScience the statement pinpoints six critical steps that must be taken to tackle the climate emergency: replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy; reducing climate pollutants; protecting and restoring ecosystems; reducing meat consumption; shifting economic goals away from obsession with GDP to a focus on human health and wellbeing; and stabilising population growth – by slowing and stabilising human population growth.

Watch and listen to its co-author, Dr Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney, speak about the declaration.

Responding to the release, Andre Laperrière, the Executive Director of Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) said: “Over 11,000 scientists have endorsed a meticulous study based on 40 years of data on a range of measures that indicate governments failing to act on the climate emergency. 

“Research published in the latest edition of Bioscience emphasises the need for urgent action from governments and organisations to curb the already visible ramifications of climate change. One way this can be done is to have clear progress on basic indicators which help keep the main factors of climate change in check.”

Andre added: As the world continues to grow, there is an increased pressure on farmers and businesses to meet demands and this continues to put a great strain on the Earth and is now at a critical stage. In keeping track, things may be able to be managed more effectively and allow for the introduction of policies and initiatives which can help bring back the balance to the planet. 

“This should now be seen as a moral obligation from institutions to tackle climate change and restore order before catastrophes on a greater scale become all too common in the world.”