The New York Times published an article in the Science section on Tuesday, August 20, entitled, How Close are the Planet’s Climate Tipping Points. Here is a list of their major tipping points that are vulnerable to climate change:

• Abrupt thawing of the Permafrost
• Mass Death of Coral Reefs
• Breakup of the West Antarctic Ice
• Collapse of Greenland Ice
• Shutdown of the Atlantic currents
• Sudden shift in the West African Monsoon
• Loss of the Amazon Rainforest

Thawing of the Permafrost will result in large releases of stored methane (CH₄) gas, a formidable greenhouse gas, as well as carbon dioxide (CO₂). This will further exacerbate the planetary warming. Large areas of permafrost exist in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia. (A simple explanation of permafrost ecosystems)

Bleaching and death of coral reefs that occur as a result of warming ocean temperatures could be catastrophic for marine species. Coral reefs support nearly 25% of all marine life which includes upwards of 4,000 species of fish.

A shift in the West African Monsoon system due to increasing ocean temperatures could have an adverse impact on Earth. This powerful circulatory system is responsible for the climate over central Africa.

Loss of the Amazon Rainforest, referred to as the “lungs of the Earth,” would have significant impact on atmospheric CO₂ levels. The Amazon rainforest absorbs about 1.2 billion tons of CO₂ annually, which is 25% of the amount absorbed by all the land on Earth. Destruction of the rainforest could create a tipping point. (Why We Need Rainforests)

Disrupting the Atlanta Currents due to the Greenland Ice Shield melting could have adverse affects on weather on either side of the Atlantic (NPR story). It could also negatively impact the ocean’s ecosystem of living organisms.

Collapse of Greenland Ice (freshwater) will raise ocean levels, change the salinity of the ocean, and impact ocean currents. “When all Greenland’s ice melts, it will raise sea level by 20 feet (reference).” See this video for a more detailed look at this tipping point.

The breakup of the West Antarctic Ice is another important tipping point. The Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest ice sheet on Earth and covers nearly 8.3% of the Earth’s land surface and is 20 times larger than Greenland. Clearly, the melting of this ice sheet would have catastrophic impacts on Earth’s climate and ecosystems of our oceans.

These seven tipping points are currently undergoing significant changes that if unchecked will potentially make parts of our planet uninhabitable. All countries, governments, and peoples must take this seriously and accelerate the process of cultural change to live more sustainably.