Paul Abela writes about "The Problem With Living On a Chaotic Planet"...
Tipping points occur when a critical threshold is breached in the Earth system. As soon as it is, it leads to change. Put another way, a tipping point is a point of no return.
What’s so concerning about tipping points is that when one is crossed, it could create a domino effect that will tip others and set in motion radical environmental changes.
Seeing as it’s impossible to model and forecast the impacts of tipping points, they aren’t integrated into climate models. This is why many scientists believe climate models are gravely underestimating future environmental conditions.
So how can we ever manage the complexity and chaos inherent in the Earth system? A logical starting point is to acknowledge that we are not in control. Once this is understood, the need to embrace the precautionary principle becomes clear.
It is safer to assume the worst and plan accordingly than to assume that we can continue with Business As Usual and that a technological breakthrough will somehow save the day. Because the risk of assuming everything will be okay is social collapse. The risk of precaution is that we move towards a sustainable path at a more aggressive rate.
It is a no-brainer, and yet, the reason we are ignoring the enormous risks we face is the same reason climate denial is alive and well. There are powerful vested interests who have everything to lose if we make the necessary transformation of our economy and society that is required.
“Seeing as it’s impossible to model and forecast the impacts of tipping points, they aren’t integrated into climate models. This explains why many climate scientists believe climate models are gravely underestimating future environmental conditions.”
Earth is about to do to us what we've been doing to other species.
Scientists can find ways to model major obvious major tipping points, but they know they’ll be shouted down as doomsayers.