According to the 450 scientists, the climatic services of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica--a carbon sink and air conditioner--have been taken for granted. Climate shifts in the region are dramatic: extreme heat waves exceeding 40℃ have increased instability of key ice shelfs and record low sea ice. They call for immediate "bending of the carbon curve". Failure to do so will condemn the Earth to unstoppable sea level rise that will impact major coastal cities like Miami, New York, London and Shenzhen. Voluntary agreements to mitigate global temperature rise have largely failed. Almost 75% of climate pledges are insufficient to reduce green house gas emissions by 50% in 2030 according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Predictably, the private sector has reneged in its efforts to reduce emissions.In February 2024, three major investment companies stepped back from efforts to limit climate-damaging emissions. JP Morgan Chase’s and State Street’s investment arms have both quit a global investor alliance encouraging companies to avoid emissions. ;The oil industry is committed to ramping up production during the tenure of a US administration that thinks climate warming is a "hoax".
There are basically two ways out of this dilemma: reduce fossil fuel burning drastically, or bail out drowning mega cities down the road. Based on emission to date, US coastal cities will experience a two foot sea rise between 2020 and 2100. If global temperature increase is not reversed, an additional 1.5 to 5 feet could occur. Is this simply scaremongering? That is what the in-coming deniers would have you believe, so they can continue to line their pockets with profits.
Speaking of profit-making: the UN treaty conference on limiting plastic pollution in Busan South Korea collapsed without an agreement. Participants could not agree on cutting plastic production. Small island nations, the most affected by plastic pollution, refused to accept a watered-down draft proposed for window-dressing. Plastic waste is clogging beaches, polluting soil, air and water. Microplastics are seeping into human organs and breast milk. Many chemicals associated with plastics have been known to cause harm to health. Delegates did agree to meet again.