Supercomputer predicts world will end with ‘triple whammy’ extinction event
This just in: good news about the climate!
Just kidding - we can't remember when there was any good news coming in about the climate.
And just to kick us while we're down, a study has shown that unprecedented heat is likely to lead to the next mass extinction since the dinosaurs were all killed off.
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The study used a supercomputer to look into how climate extremes will intensify - and as you can probably imagine, the outlook isn't particularly rosy.
Researchers from the University of Bristol found that this eventuality would eliminate all mammals on Earth - but there's a slight silver lining, as they predicted it wouldn't happen for around 250 million years.
The research, published in Nature Geoscience, suggested that the climate would soon lead to the formation of one hot, dry and pretty much unliveable supercontinent - and there would be more volcanic eruptions belching out lots of CO2 into the atmosphere, just to add to that hellish picture.
Lead author Dr Alexander Farnsworth, Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol, said: “The newly-emerged supercontinent would effectively create a triple whammy, comprising the continentality effect, hotter sun and more CO2 in the atmosphere, of increasing heat for much of the planet. The result is a mostly hostile environment devoid of food and water sources for mammals.
“Widespread temperatures of between 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, and even greater daily extremes, compounded by high levels of humidity would ultimately seal our fate. Humans – along with many other species – would expire due to their inability to shed this heat through sweat, cooling their bodies.”
While most mammals would be wiped out by this disastrous potential future, some might be able to survive. According to researchers, around 8% to 16% of the land would be habitable.
But that doesn't mean you should stop recycling, thinking that our planet is already doomed.
Instead, 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.”
So while we might be a way off the formation of that hot and basically inhospitable supercontinent, dubbed Pangea Ultima, the climate crisis is happening right now - and there's still plenty to be done.