The Emergency
“Tell the truth” is our first demand. And the truth is, we’re in the middle of a climate and ecological breakdown. Social and economic systems around the world have begun to collapse. Only by committing to science and truth, no matter how hard, can we address this emergency head-on.
we’re running out of time
Scientists agree that we must keep global warming below 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures. We’re already at +1.1°C. Without urgent action our children will grow up in a devastated world.
Keira Knightley teamed up with Extinction Rebellion to narrate this animated explanation of the climate emergency (2:30).
a small increase really matters
A 1.5°C increase will destroy, for example, 70%-90% of coral reefs. At 2.0°C, we’ll see drastic increases in extreme weather—stronger tropical storms, longer droughts, heavier downpours, and hotter heatwaves.
David Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable Earth, on what happens if we don’t act soon (3:57). Via The Years Project.
we’re not doing enough
Even if every country delivers on all their current promises to reduce emissions, we’re heading for warming of over 3°C by 2100. To stay under 2°C warming, we demand massive action to reduce emissions now.
Source: Climate Action Tracker, Dec 2019
If we don’t respond right now
We only have a short window in which to avert the worst effects of the climate emergency. The Climate and Ecological Emergency will be out of control very soon. The hotter it gets, the higher the risk of triggering irreversible feedback cycles. Consequences will include:
mass extinction
We depend on the natural world and biodiversity to survive. This is the Ecological Crisis: our planet’s 6th mass extinction is now underway.
Food shortages
Loss of pollinators happening now threatens food supply. Staple crops like wheat are already harmed by changing weather patterns.
extreme weather
A 4°C rise in temperature will expose 74% of people to deadly heat. Flooding, wildfires, and storms will kill many more.
war and conflict
With resources scarce and societies under increasing environmental stress, the likelihood of war—including nuclear war—and other conflicts will increase.
disease
Higher temperature and resulting increases in poverty will spread disease, expanding the range for diseases like malaria and dengue fever and putting hundreds of millions at risk.
water shortages
By 2050, the UN predicts 5 billion people—about half the world’s predicted population—will suffer water shortages for at least one month per year.
forced migration
The Emergency will drive people from homes beyond anything in human history. The UN expects 200 million to 1 billion climate refugees by 2050.
societal collapse
Combined escalation of all of these disasters puts society itself under threat. In the words of naturalist David Attenborough, “The collapse of our civilization is on the horizon.”
For more information about the climate emergency, including links to the research supporting these claims, see our friends at XR.UK.