Posted by
We can’t sugar coat it, the future of our planet looks pretty bleak – at least according to new predictions from scientists.
In fact, an experiment conducted by a supercomputer has suggested that Earth is heading for a ‘triple whammy’ extinction event.
Thankfully the disastrous events won’t take place for around 250 million years – or sooner if humans fail to take action on climate change.
The research was led by experts from the University of Bristol and published last year in Nature Geoscience.
According to the study, a combination of elements would “probably lead to a climate tipping point and their mass extinction”.
One is the exorbitant rise in daily temperatures on the planet to between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius.
Then the prospect of ischaemic necrosis, which would take place once temperatures dropped below 10 degrees Celsius – in such cases, the wind chill would prove so strong it would crush humans and animals alike.
The third in the ‘triple whammy’ extinction events is the threat of more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, due to the increase in volcanic eruptions far into the future.
The study reads: “Coupled with tectonic–geographic variations in atmospheric CO2 and enhanced continentality effect for supercontinents, Earth could reach a tipping point rendering it uninhabitable to mammalian life.”
Co-author Dr Eunice Lo, Research Fellow in Climate Change and Health at the University of Bristol, said: “It is vitally important not to lose sight of our current climate crisis, which is a result of human emissions of greenhouse gases.
“While we are predicting an uninhabitable planet in 250 million years, today we are already experiencing extreme heat that is detrimental to human health. This is why it is crucial to reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible.”
Sign up for our free indy100 weekly newsletter
How to join the indy100’s free WhatsApp channel
Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings