Trying to reverse climate change won’t save us, scientists warn
The Climeworks AG Mammoth carbon removal plant in Hellisheidi, Iceland, on May 8th, 2024. | Photo: Getty Images
Tech companies think they can reverse climate change with fancy new tools to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. But new research throws cold water on the idea that cooling the planet after it has already heated beyond a key turning point can avoid serious damage. Much of the toll climate change takes — from rising seas to lost homes — can’t be undone, recent research published in the journal Nature warns.
That makes it all the more urgent for governments and companies with climate goals to slash pollution from fossil fuels now, rather than offsetting or capturing their greenhouse gas emissions after the fact.
“Climate change comes with irreversible consequences. Every degree…