A group of seven researchers has called for immediate action to prevent a catastrophic threat to civilization, as reported by the Climate News Network ahead of the COP25 climate change summit in Madrid. In their commentary published in the journal Nature, they highlighted the increasing evidence of irreversible changes occurring in the Earth's environmental systems, leading to what they describe as a 'state of planetary emergency'. They warned that the planet is approaching a global tipping point, beyond which there is no return, with potential consequences such as the loss of the Amazon rainforest, rapid melting of ice sheets, and thawing of permafrost. They also cautioned that if such a collapse were to occur, it could result in 'hothouse' conditions rendering certain areas uninhabitable. The scientists emphasized that the window for intervention to prevent these tipping points may be rapidly closing, while achieving net zero emissions could take up to 30 years. The team, led by Timothy Lenton, professor of climate change and Earth system science at the University of Exeter, identified nine areas where tipping points are already occurring. These include the destruction of the Amazon, reduction of Arctic sea ice, coral reef die-offs, melting of ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica, thawing of permafrost, destabilization of boreal forests, and a slowdown of ocean circulation. The scientists claim that these events are connected and changes in one will affect another, leading to a worsening 'cascade' of crises. The study found that regional warming is causing Arctic permafrost to thaw, releasing carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. This has led to large-scale insect disturbances and fires in North American boreal forests, potentially changing some regions from a carbon sink to a carbon source. Researchers believe that the climate is more sensitive than originally thought and that a global tipping point could be possible. Additionally, recent research has analyzed various regime shifts, including the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet and the transition from rainforest to Savanna. The text suggests that surpassing tipping points in one system can heighten the likelihood of surpassing them in other systems. A photo shows an offering being made to Mother Water in a dried lake affected by climate change in Bolivia. The concept of a climate tipping point was introduced by the IPCC 20 years ago, indicating that 'large-scale discontinuities' would only occur if global warming exceeded 5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Climate scientists have stated that the data from the two most recent IPCC reports, released in 2018 and September 2019, indicate that tipping points could occur with a temperature increase of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius. Currently, global average temperatures are approximately 1 degree Celsius higher than they were in the pre-industrial era and are still on the rise.