13
Oct
A major report led by scientists from the University of Exeter, involving 160 experts globally, asserts that the Earth has passed its first catastrophic climate tipping point: extensive dieback of warm-water coral reefs. The report warns that reefs, vital for marine ecosystems and coastal livelihoods, are now exposed to conditions beyond their resilience. The global mean temperature has already hit around 1.4 °C above preindustrial levels—well past the 1.2 °C threshold identified for reef collapse. Other ecosystems are also nearing tipping points, such as the Amazon rainforest, polar ice sheets, and major ocean current patterns. The findings emphasize that the…
