New OSU-led report warns of 'unpredictable new phase' of climate crisis

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A team of international scientists, led by Oregon State University researchers, published an annual report on Tuesday, warning the Earth’s vital signs are worsening amid the climate crisis.

The scientists said decisive action addressing climate change is needed soon as Earth’s vital signs are showing a “critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis.”

“A large portion of the very fabric of life on our planet is imperiled,” said William Ripple, a professor in OSU’s College of Forestry. “Ecological overshoot, taking more than the Earth can safely give, has pushed the planet into climatic conditions more threatening than anything witnessed even by our prehistoric relatives.

"We’re already in the midst of abrupt climate upheaval, which jeopardizes life on Earth like nothing humans have ever seen,” he added. "For example, Hurricane Helene caused more than 200 deaths in the southeastern United States and massive flooding in a North Carolina mountain area thought to be a safe haven from climate change."

Out of the 35 vital signs the scientists use to track climate change, 25 are at record extremes, Ripple said.

The climate report noted that the three hottest days ever were in July 2024, fossil fuel emissions are at an all-time high along with the human population and hoofed livestock population, which produce greenhouse gases and use a lot of energy to raise.

Additionally, the report found the yearly consumption of fossil fuels grew by 1.5% in 2023 mostly from big jumps in coal and oil use.

While fossil fuel use increased, so did renewable energy consumption, according to the report.

In 2023, solar and wind energy use together grew 15% from 2022. The researchers note, however, that renewable energy use if one-fourteenth of fossil fuel use and the rise in renewables is mostly from increased demand rather than replacing fossil fuel use.

“Since the publication of our 2023 report, multiple climate-related disasters have taken place, including a series of heat waves across Asia that killed more than a thousand people and led to temperatures reaching 122 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of India,” said Ripple. “Climate change has already displaced millions of people, with the potential to displace hundreds of millions or even billions. That would likely lead to greater geopolitical instability, possibly even partial societal collapse.”

Ahead of the United Nations summit on climate change in November, the researchers said they want to see new policies such as a global carbon price to limit emissions by the wealthy, enhancing energy efficiency while replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, and protecting biodiverse ecosystems.

Additionally, the scientists are calling for policies that encourage a shift towards plant-based diets, reducing overconsumption, and including climate change education in schools around the world.

“Despite six reports from the International Panel on Climate Change, hundreds of other reports, tens of thousands of scientific papers and 28 annual meetings of the UN’s Conference of the Parties, the world has made very little headway on climate change,” Wolf said. “Humanity’s future depends on creativity, moral fiber and perseverance. If future generations are to inherit the world they deserve, decisive action is needed, and fast.”

The OSU-led report included researchers from Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, University of Sidney, University of Exeter, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.