Climate change and global risk

Abstract

Climate change is among the most discussed and investigated global risks. Catastrophic climate change may be considerably worse than previously thought and might be triggered well before the effects come to pass. Several mechanisms could trigger such catastrophes, including methane hydrate release, methane release from melting permafrost, tropical forest dieback, ocean acidification, and disruption of the thermohaline circulation. While scientific discussion of such possibilities has been guarded and responsible, the same cannot be said for the public debate. Enhanced scientific interest in earth system science and deep history research has increased the awareness of these possibilities. Despite the growing concern over the possibility of catastrophic climate change, quantification of these possibilities remains difficult due to data uncertainty, forcing uncertainty, and model uncertainty. – AI-generated abstract.