An ever-increasing human population will destroy the climate say scientists (Shutterstock)

Thousands of scientists around the world have added their names to an open letter calling for deep and lasting shifts in the way we all live.

They say it’s the only way to avoid ‘untold human suffering’ as a result of climate change.

In order to limit the amount of greenhouse gases we’re pumping into the atmosphere, the scientists say Earth’s explosive population growth has to be limited. At present, 200,000 people are being born every day and the report – signed by 11,000 scientists from 153 countries – say our planet cannot sustain what comes with that.

Increased amount of meat consumed per person, global tree loss and the fossil fuel consumption from increased transportation needs are all likely to devastate our planet’s natural resources.




‘We declare clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency,’ explained the paper published this week in the journal Bioscience.

This new message comes exactly 40 years after scientists from 50 nations met at the First World Climate Conference (in Geneva in 1979) and agreed that alarming trends for climate change made it urgently necessary to act.

Now in 2019, they are saying that not enough has been done.

The global group is led by William J. Ripple professor of ecology at Oregon State University and researcher Christopher Wolf.

Professor William J. Ripple from Oregon State University led the research (Northcliffe Collection)

Professor Ripple said: ‘Despite 40 years of major global negotiations, we have continued to conduct business as usual and have failed to address this crisis.

‘Climate change has arrived and is accelerating faster than many scientists expected.’

Analysing publicly available data from the last four decades, the scientists have made a number of suggestions about measures that need to be introduced alongside limiting the Earth’s population.

Here’s what they say needs to happen:

Reduce pollutants: We need to stop or reduce the emissions of methane, soot and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Protect natural ecosystems: Forests, grasslands, wetlands and other natural wildernesses which trap and contain carbon need to be protected and restored around the world. Change human diet: Humans have to limit their intake of meat and animal-based products, switching to a predominantly plant-based diet Switch focus from economic growth to improving ecosystems: The drive to increase national GDP results in over-exploitation of resources, which needs to be switched to prioritising basic needs and reducing inequality. Reduce the world’s population: We must stabilise and ‘ideally greatly reduce’ the world’s population through family planning services and making primary and secondary education the global norm for young women.

The research states: ‘The climate crisis is closely linked to excessive consumption of the wealthy lifestyle. The most affluent countries are mainly responsible for the historical GHG emissions and generally have the greatest per capita emissions.’

The most affluent countries are responsible for the most emissions (Getty Images)

Our vital signs are designed to be useful to the public, policymakers, the business community, and those working to implement the Paris climate agreement, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

‘Profoundly troubling signs from human activities include sustained increases in both human and ruminant livestock populations, per capita meat production, world gross domestic product, global tree cover loss, fossil fuel consumption, the number of air passengers carried, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, and per capita CO 2 emissions since 2000.’

Human population growth is crowding out other species from existing on the planet (Getty Images)

In conclusion the paper states: ‘Mitigating and adapting to climate change while honoring the diversity of humans entails major transformations in the ways our global society functions and interacts with natural ecosystems.’