The climate just got its annual checkup, and the results aren\u2019t looking so hot.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Earth were a patient coming in for an annual physical, I would say its condition is serious and getting worse,\u201d Oregon State University researcher Bill Ripple says.<\/p>\n
Ripple is the lead author of a new paper<\/a> chronicling the state of the climate<\/a>, published on Wednesday in BioScience. The findings show that seven of the 16 planetary vital signs tracked by the researchers have never been in a more extreme state.<\/p>\n That includes the amount of carbon dioxide<\/a> in the atmosphere, which is 50 percent higher than preindustrial levels due to burning fossil fuels, as well as symptoms of burning all that oil, coal, and gas. Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have shrunk to record lows, while ocean heat has soared to record highs.<\/p>\n Climate change has already quickened the pace of warming from about 0.05 degrees Celsius per decade from 1880 through 1970 to 0.36 degrees Celsius per decade since 2010, according to the analysis. While the global average temperature, including land, isn\u2019t at a record extreme, that may change by the end of the year as El Ni\u00f1o strengthens<\/a>. The natural climate pattern is characterized by a hotter-than-normal Pacific Ocean, but it also boosts global heat levels by pouring more energy into the atmosphere. This year\u2019s El Ni\u00f1o is shaping up<\/a> to be one for the record books.<\/p>\n \u201cA strong El Ni\u00f1o could temporarily push global temperatures even higher, while bringing additional heat and drought to vulnerable regions,\u201d says Ripple. He adds that \u201cEl Ni\u00f1o is a natural phenomenon, but it’s now occurring on top of a much warmer planet. That makes its impacts potentially more dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n Of particular concern are ecosystems such as coral reefs and tropical forests. The spread of ocean heat is likely to fuel a mass coral die-off, known as coral bleaching. With each successive wave of bleaching, reefs become less resilient. Corals are among the ecosystems most threatened by climate change; if the planet warms beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, most of the world\u2019s coral will be unlikely to survive<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tropical forests also face pressure from El Ni\u00f1o. This is especially true of the Amazon, which tends to see dry weather during this climate pattern. The timing couldn\u2019t be more dire: The region, dubbed \u201cthe world\u2019s lungs,\u201d is already under intense pressure from logging and mining interests and the possible return of a right-wing government in Brazil that prioritizes extraction and land clearing<\/a> over conservation.<\/p>\n