John Gibbons: We are fast approaching climate change tipping points

Ice melting due to global climate change in Antarctica, a loss of which would add three metres to global sea levels. Picture: Getty Images

We are fast approaching one or more tippings point that will drastically reshape the climate of the Northern hemisphere, but exactly where these points lies is “the billion dollar question”, according to leading oceanographer, Prof Stefan Rahmstorf

With global warming already having pushed up the Earth’s average surface temperature by over 1.1C, Prof Rahmstorf of Potsdam University, Germany, warned that multiple climate tipping points could be crossed once temperatures have risen by 1.5-2C. This will likely lead to a “domino effect” with catastrophic consequences.