Climate Tipping Points

Imagine tipping the first domino in a long line. The initial push seems small, but it sets off a chain reaction where every piece falls in succession. In Earth’s climate system, tipping points work similarly. Cross a critical threshold—such as the melting of polar ice sheets or the destruction of coral reefs—and you trigger irreversible consequences like hastened global warming, rising sea levels, and extreme weather.

A recent study published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science brings new urgency to these climate thresholds, revealing that the financial and logistical costs of reversing climate change skyrocket nearly fourfold after a tipping point is crossed. This groundbreaking research is the first to quantify the costs of intervening in climate tipping points, both before and after they occur, and the results are sobering.