Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC). It is the first global scientific consensus on how climate change is harming the Earth’s oceans and cryosphere, which includes areas covered in ice such as glaciers, sea ice, and permafrost. In response, Miriam Goldstein, the managing director for Energy and Environment Policy and director for Ocean Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
As youth around the world demand climate action, this report offers more scientific evidence of the impact of climate change and the urgent need for real solutions. Each year that we delay action, ocean waters warm and become more acidic. This fuels hurricanes, kills coral reefs, and threatens the safety and livelihoods of the 40 percent of the world’s population who lives within 60 miles of the coast.
To protect the ocean’s natural ability to store carbon, to feed billions of people across the world, and to save ocean ecosystems, we must substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible. We must also preserve the ocean’s ability to adapt to the changes already underway by strongly protecting at least 30 percent of the ocean.
We cannot ignore the 71 percent of our planet that is underwater. We must act now to protect it – and to protect ourselves.
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For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.