Scientists call for changes to avert 'climate chaos'

[Report, from At] use actually fell in China in the first half ofthis year, aremarkable change for a country that remains the world’s biggest climate polluter.

- 

Renewable energy is beingbuilt out at a furious pace there, dwarfing installation in the rest ofthe world. And in California, clean energy pro-

vided two-thirds of electricity in 2023.

Yet total use of fossil fuels rose 15% in 2024, the researchers said, citing data from the Energy Institute. Energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide and other planet-heating gases also reached an all-time high — exactly the opposite of what needs to be happening to address climate change.

The report notes that hotter temperatures are contributing to growing electricity demand.

“avoiding every fraction of a degree of warming is critically important,” the scientists wrote. “We are entering a period where only bold, coordinated action can prevent catastrophic outcomes.”

The report, published Wednesday in the journal BioScience, is the sixth annualassessment that Ripple and his colleagues have

compiled since they wrote a 2020 paper declaring a climate emergency — a statement that more than 15,800 scientists have signed in support.