Categories: Cryosphere Capsules

Video of the Week: How the Term “Tipping Points” May Distract from Climate Action

Dr. Robert Kopp, Rutgers University, summarizes his recent Nature Climate Change paper, which takes issue with the utility of the term “tipping points” as a way to communicate urgency for climate ambition. The paper asserts that this term can confuse policy makers and the public, and even distract from or discourage urgently needed climate action. Dr. Kopp’s research focuses on understanding uncertainty in past and future climate change, with major emphases on sea-level rise, interactions between physical climate change and the economy, and the use of climate risk information to inform decision making.

Video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ12HT-0qts
Full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-02196-8

Pam Pearson

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