World scientists’ warning of a climate emergency
Most public discussions on climate change are based on global surface temperature only, which is an inadequate measure to capture the breadth of human activities and the real dangers stemming from a warming planet. Policymakers and the public now urgently need access to a set of indicators that convey the effects of human activities on green house gas emissions and the consequent impacts on climate, our environment, and society.
Building on prior work, the research presents a suite of graphical vital signs of climate change over the last 40 years for human activities that can affect green house gas emissions and change the climate, as well as actual climatic impacts. The paper uses only relevant data sets that are clear, understandable, systematically collected for at least the last 5 years, and updated at least annually.