Tipping into Confusion

“Tipping point” has become a popular metaphor for rapid, irreversible change. However, when used in the context of climate change policy, the term can be confusing and distract from urgent action, experts suggest in a recent article.

Expressions come and go in science. Ecosystem Services have given way, for example, to Natures Contributions to People. These terms are shorthand for complicated relationships between people and nature. Both terms have problems (e.g. the role of human agency is obscured). Likewise, tipping points is shorthand for complex non-linear dynamics in which feedback structures change. In a recent article, Kopp et al. (see link below) caution that the shorthand of tipping point is poorly defined and gives the illusion of scientific precision. Further, the authors argue that the tipping point framing does not provide a clear basis for climate action. The authors call for much more careful communication around and more specificity regarding the characteristics of tipping points.

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