Climate Change Has Pushed the World's Ice Out of Its Safe Zone
Humanity has thrived thanks to a stable cryosphere, but burning fossil fuels has increased the risk of “accelerating and partly irreversible” harm to the planet’s cold places.
A new study published in Science reveals that human activities, specifically the burning of fossil fuels, have pushed the Earth's ice and snow outside a "safe operating space," according to the researchers. This landmark research examines the impact of rising temperatures on the cryosphere, which includes polar sea and land ice, mountain glaciers, permafrost, and snow cover.
The study demonstrates an "accelerating and partly irreversible loss of cryospheric integrity," primarily driven by the fact that the Earth's climate has been remarkably stable for the past 12,000 years, allowing human civilization and ecosystems to flourish. The study identifies boundaries for these conditions that, if crossed, would disrupt the stability and safety that humans have enjoyed for millennia.
The results show that both polar sea ice and snow cover have fallen outside the safe operating threshold, as have the area of permafrost, which is frozen soil laden with carbon. While land ice has not yet crossed the threshold, it is on the brink of doing so. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which could raise sea levels by 11 feet (3 meters) if it collapses, and permafrost are particularly concerning due to the vast amounts of carbon they contain.
The study also highlights how melting Greenland land ice could potentially slow down or even collapse the ocean conveyor belt that keeps Europe temperate. While the consequences of a changing cryosphere may not manifest immediately, such as an 11-foot rise in sea levels or a trillion-ton CO2 release, they do increase the likelihood of crossing dangerous tipping points.
Even crossing the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold could trigger these tipping points. The safe operating space framework, according to the study, takes a broader perspective by assessing slower changes over time and the extent to which the cryosphere is moving away from the conditions that have supported a relatively stable Earth system.
While cutting emissions is the most straightforward way to prevent the cryosphere from moving further outside our comfort zone, the researchers also suggest exploring more radical interventions, such as geoengineering techniques. Although these approaches might be costly and have no guarantee of success, they could potentially protect the world's ice and avoid the root cause of warming: burning fossil fuels.
Written by urgent.news from Wired's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
