Special report: State of the climate, a planet on the brink

This is the last edition of PSRW before the new year. Although we have spent the past year celebrating the breakthroughs in plant science, I am going to end on a more sober note, which is succinctly captured in this important special report from Ripple et al. The authors pull together data from across the globe to alert us that we are living in dangerous times, which threaten both plants and people. As we all know, burning the “buried sunshine” of fossilized plants has rapidly changed the gaseous composition of our atmosphere, leading to rapid global heating and its myriad consequences. Beyond highlighting these data, the authors summarize several climate mitigation strategies that should be effected immediately. I urge you to read this article and consider how you can use your voice to support these critical efforts. The article ends with this powerful statement:

The future is still being written. Through choices in policy, investment, education, and care for one another and the Earth, we can still create a turning point. It begins by embracing our shared humanity and recognizing the profound interconnectedness of all life on the planet.

Take care and best wished for 2026.

(Summary by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching.bsky.social) Bioscience 10.1093/biosci/biaf149