The Guardian: Antarctica's heatwaves are a warning to humanity - and we have only a narrow window ...

[OKIsItJustMe]

Antarctica’s heatwaves are a warning to humanity – and we have only a narrow window to save the planet

Climate scientists
Fri 4 Aug 2023 02.43 EDT

Antarctica’s sea ice levels are plummeting as extreme weather events happen faster than scientists predicted

Antarctica is currently experiencing dramatic changes at unprecedented rates, marked by repeated extreme events. These include circum-Antarctic summer heatwaves and an autumn heatwave last year, with temperatures soaring up to 40C above the average. Moreover, both last summer and this winter, sea ice extent has reached record lows. These changes have happened even faster than scientists predicted.

These changes coincide with a broader global pattern of extreme air and sea surface temperatures, wildfires, floods, disease and other events deeply impacting ecosystems and society. Scientists have warned society about global climate change and its impacts since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s first report in the early 1990s. The Antarctic community has done so repeatedly too. These warnings are now being realised.

Antarctica is a crucial component of the Earth system and a sentinel for growing change. As Antarctic scientists, we see the evidence of mounting change, including changes in food webs, rapid change in populations, breeding failure and local ecosystem collapse, with projections of rapid transformation of a region that makes our planet liveable and contributes in extraordinary ways to global biodiversity.

This is a critical moment, impacting our well-being, future generations and ecosystems globally. Confronted by this evidence, we urgently call on nations to intensify and exceed their current commitments to greenhouse gas emissions reductions. An immediate increase in ambition is required to reach net zero and to go beyond it. Pledges are not enough.

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Oh! Well! If it’s happening, “faster than scientists predicted,” then it’s not our fault for not acting before now!

[CrispyQ]

1. The attitude I've encountered is, "It's just bad news. I don't want to hear about it." -nt

[Think. Again.]

2. We are hearing the last alarm bells...

...that we will hear in time to do something, ANYTHING to reduce major damage in the near future.

[CousinIT]

3. Humanity is too indifferent. It will do nothing to save itself. NT

[2naSalit]

4. +1

[Think. Again.]

5. Well.....

....if the handful of us that DO care don't get unapologetically aggressive very soon, then we all deserve the fate we have created for ourselves.

[BWdem4life]

6. Actually, scientists thought it would happen this fast but

had to be more conservative in their predictions to avoid appearing "alarmist".

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. J E Hansen: Scientific reticence and sea level rise

https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/2/2/024002

Published 24 May 2007
…
Abstract

I suggest that a 'scientific reticence' is inhibiting the communication of a threat of a potentially large sea level rise. Delay is dangerous because of system inertias that could create a situation with future sea level changes out of our control. I argue for calling together a panel of scientific leaders to hear evidence and issue a prompt plain-written report on current understanding of the sea level change issue.