Rising temperatures are just the tip of the climate change iceberg

A group of over 11,000 scientists calls for the adoption of a comprehensive set of indicators to track the climate crisis and recommends six systemic transformations—including energy transition, ecosystem restoration, and reduced meat consumption—to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.

• Climate change monitoring should expand beyond global surface temperatures to include a broader set of indicators that reflect human activity and environmental impact, such as human population growth, tree cover loss, fertility rates, fossil fuel subsidies, glacier thickness, and the frequency of extreme weather events.
• Over the last 40 years, there have been sustained increases in carbon dioxide emissions, fossil fuel consumption, human and ruminant populations, and the number of plane passengers, alongside global tree cover loss.
• Current climate trends show rapid disappearance of sea ice and upward trends in sea level, ocean acidity, ocean heat, and extreme weather events, which risk hitting a 'point of no return' and creating catastrophic feedback loops.
• The authors propose six interrelated steps to mitigate climate change: prioritizing energy efficiency and low-carbon renewables over fossil fuels; reducing short-lived pollutants like soot and methane; protecting ecosystems by stopping land clearing; reducing meat consumption; moving away from unsustainable economic and resource consumption; and stabilizing or reducing human populations.

APA

Ripple, W. (2019). Rising temperatures are just the tip of the climate change iceberg. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/11-000-scientists-warn-climate-change-isn-t-just-about-temperature/

Chicago

Ripple, William. Rising temperatures are just the tip of the climate change iceberg. World Economic Forum, 2019. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/11-000-scientists-warn-climate-change-isn-t-just-about-temperature/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Ripple |first1=William |title=Rising temperatures are just the tip of the climate change iceberg |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=7 November 2019 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/11-000-scientists-warn-climate-change-isn-t-just-about-temperature/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{ripple2019rising, author = {Ripple, William}, title = {{Rising temperatures are just the tip of the climate change iceberg}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/11-000-scientists-warn-climate-change-isn-t-just-about-temperature/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }