For the sake of my grandchild, I’d like to see climate action taken - Yorkshire Post Letters

A few weeks ago, my first grandchild was born. A few weeks ago, a group of the world's most respected climate scientists published a report in the journal BioScience, titled: 'The 2024 state of climate report: Perilous times on planet earth'.

It is worth quoting the start of the report: ‘We are on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster. This is a global emergency beyond any doubt. Much of the very fabric of life on Earth is imperilled. We are stepping into a critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis.’

The report lists that fossil fuel emissions are at an all-time high, the three hottest days ever occurred in July 2024 and with current policies we are on track for approximately 2.7 degrees C warming by 2100.

They list the multiple climate-related disasters which have occurred in the last year including floods, wildfires, hurricanes and a series of heat waves across Asia which killed more than a thousand people and led to temperatures reaching 50 degrees C in parts of India.

They list 28 ‘climate feedback loops’, many of which amplify greenhouse gas effects, such as thawing permafrost which releases carbon dioxide and methane, in turn increasing temperatures. Some of these feedback loops potentially involve tipping points when a sudden change occurs irreversibly accelerating the process.

One such tipping point is the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the Atlantic current bringing warm waters from the south Atlantic to the north, this feeding into the Gulf Stream.

Research shows that the AMOC is already slowing due to melting Greenland ice sheets and Arctic ice. It has previously been considered that the likelihood of a collapse this century was low, however recent research suggests that the risk has been underestimated.

One recent study suggested that the AMOC is more likely than not to collapse by 2050. The result would be catastrophic, dramatically reducing temperatures in northern Europe and creating unprecedented extremes of weather.

This threatens agriculture in Northern Europe. A study of the effect in Britain suggested that usable arable land could reduce to only 22 per cent of its present size.

‘The 2024 state of the climate report’ calls for various actions, perhaps the most important being the rapid phase-down of fossil fuels. It concludes: ‘Only through decisive action can we safeguard the natural world, avert profound human suffering, and ensure that future generations inherit the livable world they deserve. The future of humanity hangs in the balance’.

They are talking about my grandson. They are talking about all our children and grandchildren. They all deserve to have that future.