Breaking News: Planet on Code Red Alert for Climate Change!

The phrase "Code Red for the Planet" refers to the urgent need for action to stop the escalating effects of climate change. In its 2021 report on the physical science behind climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) popularized the phrase "Code Red."

According to the research, there is no doubt that human actions, notably the use of fossil fuels, are contributing to the Earth's climate warming at an alarming rate. The research also emphasized climate change's catastrophic and pervasive effects, including heatwaves, droughts, floods, and rising sea levels, that are already being felt globally. The phrase "Code Red for the Planet" denotes the necessity of taking urgent action to reduce the severity of climate change and its effects on human society and ecosystems. This necessitates significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, a switch to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, and the establishment of laws and regulations that allow for climate change's inevitable effects to be accommodated.

What Are Tipping Points?

Consider playing a game of Jenga. The tower is being steadily disassembled by you and your companions brick by brick when all of a sudden, one of you rips out a wooden block, causing the entire structure to crumble. In a word, this is a tipping moment. The physical conditions of ocean currents, glaciers, and entire forests deteriorate as the global capitalist system pulls more and more wooden blocks, which on a grand scale symbolize carbon emissions or deforestation. Therefore, entire glacier or rainforest systems can cascade into a new state with just a slight push or the removal of a single additional block, frequently without any chance of returning to the previous condition. We are currently being forced over these cliffs head-on by the climate catastrophe. Nine of the largest potential tipping points throughout the world have been identified by Carbon Brief, an award-winning website that explains science and might, if activated, result in "abrupt and irreversible change."

These tipping points can take the form of anything from permanent coral reef extinctions to disastrous changes in the West African and Indian monsoons or even the collapse of the Gulf Stream-inducing Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. In other words, there is very little likelihood of returning to the surroundings to which humans have been accustomed after these systems have accelerated past their tipping points. Let's examine two of the most important tipping points that the climate problem will reach in the ensuing decades.

1. Arctic sea ice: As temperatures continue to rise, the Arctic sea ice is shrinking at an unprecedented rate, which could trigger further warming by reducing the Earth's reflectivity.
2. Greenland ice sheet: The melting of the Greenland ice sheet could lead to significant sea level rise, which would have catastrophic impacts on coastal communities and infrastructure around the world.
3. West Antarctic ice sheet: The melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet could also contribute to significant sea level rise.
4. Boreal forests: As temperatures rise, boreal forests, which store a significant amount of carbon, could become net emitters of greenhouse gases, contributing to further warming.
5. Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC): The AMOC, which plays a key role in regulating global climate, could weaken or collapse in response to warming, which would have far-reaching impacts on weather patterns and ocean ecosystems.
6. Permafrost: As permafrost, which contains large amounts of carbon, thaws, it could release significant amounts of greenhouse gases, contributing to further warming.
7. Amazon rainforest: The Amazon rainforest, which plays a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate, could become drier and more vulnerable to fires, deforestation, and degradation.
8. Coral reefs: As oceans warm and become more acidic, coral reefs, which provide crucial habitats and ecosystem services, could experience widespread bleaching and die-off.
9. Methane hydrates: As ocean temperatures rise, methane hydrates, which contain large amounts of methane, could become destabilized, potentially leading to significant releases of this potent greenhouse gas.

The disappearance of the amazon

Dieback in the Amazonian Rainforest The Amazon rainforest, which is rich in both vegetation and wildlife, used to be considered the planet's lungs. The Amazon forest absorbed 5–10% of emissions of carbon dioxide that were created by people by taking in large amounts of carbon dioxide and storing it in its thick trunks. But in 2021, the southeastern part of the rainforest is no longer in that situation. Recent research found that some regions of Brazil's vast rainforest are now a net source of carbon dioxide emissions, releasing up to a billion metric tons of carbon annually. This is only a small sample of what an Amazon dieback on a large scale may entail. The economic exploitation that brought us into this predicament will only hasten the instability of the Amazon if allowed unchecked. Complex factors like higher fires and droughts brought on by climate change and deforestation are what will finally cause a large-scale forest die-off.

Together, these two would cause the Amazon to become so fragmented and degraded that it could no longer sustain itself, changing its ecology into one that is far more akin to a savannah than a rainforest. And recent research suggests that this savannah-fiction process might be completed in as little as 50 years. But according to a recent study, it will still be some years before we hit this dieback tipping point. In the absence of deforestation, 3° Celsius of warming, with 4° Celsius being considerably more likely, might be sufficient to tilt the balance in favour of Amazonian dieback. The issue is that the Amazon is becoming more unstable due to widespread deforestation brought on by soy growing for livestock and slash-and-burn clearance for cow grazing.

Continued deforestation entails a faster rate of large-scale, irreversible alteration of the Amazon. And the Amazon's quick conversion from rainforest to savannah not only portends disaster for the ecosystem's rich biodiversity but also means that much of the carbon that the Amazon has sequestered over the years will be released as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, potentially escalating the already tumultuous climate. Still, there is some optimism. "If deforestation is more directly a human action, we have a greater immediate possibility of reversing it by holding back on deforestation," says Professor Richard Betts.

Deforestation, therefore, poses a very real intervention point that, if stopped, may give us enough time to avoid catastrophic dieback, even as it is pushing us toward a tipping point. However, even if we move swiftly to save the Amazon from dying, there is another unsettling tipping point that might lock in a hotter planet for generations to come.

The Melting of the Permafrost

The Arctic is quickly warming. There, temperatures have been rising about twice as quickly as the norm for the entire world, and only last summer, a Siberian village inside the Arctic circle recorded a scorching 47.8° celsius on the ground. The Arctic is blazing with flames. This is disastrous for a location that is meant to remain chilly for most of the year. specifically for the permafrost layers that cover the arctic. Any ground that has been continuously frozen for more than two years is considered permafrost. You will typically uncover permafrost that has been frozen for thousands of years when you dig further into the topsoil, which melts and refreezes every year. It occupies approximately a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere's landmass and is effectively the world's deep freezer.

It preserves microorganisms, plants, and animals' organic remnants in frozen stasis. This organic debris has accumulated over hundreds of thousands of years due to its inability to fully breakdown. According to some estimates, permafrost might contain up to 1.6 trillion metric tons of carbon, or double the amount of carbon dioxide that is now present in our atmosphere. As a result, if a sizable portion of permafrost starts to melt and the organic material inside of it starts to break down, global emissions may swiftly increase. This melting "may be releasing an estimated 300-600m tonnes of net carbon per year to the atmosphere," according to a 2019 research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States. But what makes the permafrost melting so frightening is that there is no turning back once it thaws and bacteria begin decomposing the organic stuff and releasing methane and carbon dioxide into the sky.

Similar to how you wouldn't put the partially decomposed raw chicken back into the freezer to make it more palatable, you can't just refreeze thawed organic stuff. But unlike previous tipping points, permafrost thaw doesn't drive itself or cascade swiftly on a big scale, according to studies. It is anticipated to melt gradually, with sporadic regional breakdowns and rapid decreases. This suggests that if we can halt and ameliorate climate change, we may be able to stop or significantly reduce the rate of large-scale permafrost thaw. ultimately preventing the release of trillions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere. But to achieve it, we must undergo an unparalleled level of total political, economic, and cultural change.

Ways to prevent catastrophe

Tipping Points to Avoid From the fast melting of the Greenland ice sheet to the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, we are speeding toward the brink of innumerable tipping points. Preventive measures are crucial since there is little chance that we can turn back from the brink once we do. We must immediately use the brakes. The climate catastrophe must be handled as the emergency it is. Tipping moments remind us that there will be very serious repercussions if we stay on our current trajectory, but they also demonstrate that taking radical action now is not just important but also not radical. Mild-mannered carbon reductions and half-hearted net-zero targets from multinational corporations won't save us from going over the brink.

These plans resemble using a stone to try and stop a vehicle. To prevent these possible cascading calamities, we must address the underlying causes of the climate problem. Capitalism everywhere must stop. We have been aware of the threat of climate change for the past 50 years, but global capitalism has failed to accomplish the kind of significant emissions cuts required to halt global warming. Therefore, new paradigms are required. In addition to halting climate change, ideas and movements like ecosocialism, solarpunk, indigenous sovereignty, and a red new deal have the potential to create a prosperous world. A society in which tipping moments are carefully considered and prevented by using the huge resources and collective wisdom of our communities.

• Ecosocialism is a political philosophy that seeks to combine environmentalism and socialism to address the root causes of the ecological crisis. It argues that capitalism and industrialization are the main drivers of environmental destruction and that a socialist economic system is necessary to achieve sustainable and equitable resource use.
• Solarpunk is a cultural movement and speculative fiction genre that envisions a positive, sustainable future in which technology is used to promote social and ecological justice. Solarpunk emphasizes community-based solutions, decentralized energy production, and regenerative practices.
• Indigenous sovereignty refers to the right of Indigenous peoples to self-determination and control over their land, resources, and cultural heritage. It recognizes that Indigenous peoples have been historically marginalized and dispossessed of their lands and that environmental justice cannot be achieved without addressing these historical injustices.
• A red new deal is a political platform that combines the goals of a green new deal, which seeks to address climate change and transition to a sustainable economy, with the principles of democratic socialism. It emphasizes economic justice, universal healthcare, and a fair transition for workers and communities that are currently dependent on fossil fuels. It also recognizes the need to address historical injustices, such as those experienced by Indigenous peoples and communities of colour.

Actions You Can Take to Help Stop Climate Tipping Points

The effects of climate change are increasingly being felt around the world, and experts warn that we are approaching critical tipping points that could have disastrous consequences for our planet. But the good news is that there are actions that individuals can take to help reduce their carbon footprint and slow the pace of global warming.

• Reduce your energy consumption: The energy we use to power our homes and transportation is a major source of carbon emissions. By making small changes, such as turning off lights when you leave a room, switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances, and using public transportation or carpooling, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint.
• Eat a plant-based diet: The production of meat and dairy products requires a significant amount of energy and resources and contributes to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing your consumption of animal products and incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet, you can help reduce your carbon footprint.
• Support renewable energy: The transition to clean, renewable energy is critical to slowing the pace of global warming. By supporting policies that promote renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, and investing in renewable energy sources, you can help accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.
• Reduce waste: The production and disposal of waste are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing your waste through practices such as recycling, composting, and avoiding single-use plastics, you can help reduce your carbon footprint.
• Advocate for change: Individual actions are important, but systemic change is also necessary to address the root causes of the climate crisis. By advocating for policies that promote sustainable practices, such as renewable energy, public transportation, and sustainable agriculture, you can help create a more sustainable future for all.

In summary, preventing climatic tipping points necessitates a global effort by people, communities, and governments. You can make a difference and build a more sustainable future for future generations by making little changes in your everyday life and speaking up for systemic change.