Humanity is 'unequivocally facing a climate emergency', report warnsÂ
With carbon dioxide levels at their highest on record and temperatures continuing to rise, Earth has officially reached 'Code Red', a new report has warned. An international team of researchers has penned a new report titled 'World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency 2022', in which they warn that humanity is 'unequivocally facing a climate emergency'. Professor William Ripple, co-author of the study, said: 'Look at all of these heat waves, fires, floods and massive storms. 'The specter of is at the door and pounding hard.' The report is authored by 10 global scientists, led by Oregon State University. In it, the researchers analysed 35 planetary vital signs that are used to track climate change. Worryingly, they found that 16 of these signs are at record extremes, including extreme heat events, global tree cover loss because of fires, and a greater prevalence of the mosquito-borne dengue virus. 'As we can see by the annual surges in climate disasters, we are now in the midst of a major climate crisis, with far worse to come if we keep doing things the way we've been doing them,' Christopher Wolf, co-lead author, said. The researchers also note that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are the highest on record, having reached a whopping 418 parts per million. 'Climate change is not a standalone issue,' said co-author Saleemul Huq of Independent University Bangladesh. 'To avoid more untold human suffering, we need to protect nature, eliminate most fossil fuel emissions and support socially just climate adaptations with a focus on low-income areas that are most vulnerable.' In 1992, more than 1,700 scientists signed the original version of the report, titled 'World Scientists' Warning to Humanity'. In the 30 years since then, global greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 40 per cent, according to the report. Based on the findings, the researchers are urging more scientists to 'speak out' on climate change. 'As Earth's temperatures are creeping up, the frequency or magnitude of some types of climate disasters may actually be leaping up,' said the University of Sydney's Thomas Newsome, a co-author of the report. 'We urge our fellow scientists around the world to speak out on climate change.' The report follows a new study published this week by the , a international research collaboration focused on climate. It found that public health is at 'the mercy of fossil fuels', and that the burning of fossil fuels degrades public health and is even killing people. Extreme weather from climate change triggered hunger in nearly 100 million people and increased heat deaths by 68 per cent in vulnerable populations, it found. Worldwide the burning of coal, oil, natural gas and biomass forms air pollution that kills 1.2 million people a year, including 11,800 in the US. 'Our health is at the mercy of fossil fuels,' said University College of London health and climate researcher Marina Romanello, executive director of the Lancet Countdown. 'We're seeing a persistent addiction to fossil fuels that is not only amplifying the health impacts of climate change, but which is also now at this point compounding with other concurrent crises that we're globally facing. '[These include] the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, energy crisis and food crisis that were triggered after the war in Ukraine.'