Is Hothouse Earth Avoidable?
Nearly 50 years ago, the Club of Rome's report "Limits to Growth" warned that if economic growth continued fast without regard for the environment, the world could face ecological and economic collapse in the twenty-first century. Yet that is essentiallyhas happened. As new research for the Club of Rome shows — and the latest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states — the worldwell be headed towards disaster.
Many wrongly(interpret) the "Limits to Growth" as an attack on uncontrolled economic expansion. In fact, the report argued thatthe unlimited-growth pathway was chosen, it would require complementary policies (including funding)(preserve) the planet's limited life-support systems.
This argument(ignore). Instead, the world has continued to pursue fast growth, without regard for the environmental consequences. This has enabled us to make enormous progress in reducing poverty, increasing longevity, and increasing wealth.it has come at a high cost to the formation of the society and the restoration of the planet.
As scientists have conclusively shown, in the last decade, we have entered a new geological era, the Anthropocene, in which human activity — in particular, economic activity — has been the dominant factor(influence) Earth's climate and environment. In the Anthropocene, our planet's life-support system is changing faster than ever.
Climate change now represents a clear and present danger. If our planet becomes just 2℃ warmer than pre-industrial temperatures, we may be placed irreversibly on the path toward "Hothouse Earth" — a situationtemperatures are many degrees warmer than today, sea levels are considerably higher, and extreme weather events are(common) — and more destructive — than ever.
