The earth approaches "critical point" in climate change, which will lead to a rapid and irreversible process of destruction of the environment. To such conclusion the group of scientists headed by a biologist at the University of California at Berkeley Anthony Barnoski. They published his article in the journal Nature.

In their opinion, the rapid population growth, disappearance of rare species of plants and animals, excessive exploitation of energy resources and global warming - all this leads to a major crisis, the consequences of which will be irreversible. "The last time such a turning point, the Earth was over 14 thousand years ago, when the era of glaciations. In this period there was the disappearance of half of the animals, and then began the distribution of the human population on all continents of the world", explained the researchers.

Due to the burning of organic fuel the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 35% compared with pre-industrial levels, as a result, ocean acidity over the past 20 years increased by 5%. Also due to the fact that the city continue to grow and occupy a large area, the biodiversity decreases dramatically.

The authors stress that the growth of population constantly increases the load on the resources of the planet. If fertility rates in developing countries will remain the same as now, by 2050 the population will increase to 9 billion and by the end of the century up to 27 billion.

Scientists have warned that if you leave everything as is and not to take any action, global change can happen in a few decades. "As soon as the Ground will come to a critical point, it is extremely difficult or even impossible to restore planet former state" - leads Sun Francisco Chronicle words Barnoski.

That mankind in the coming years may encounter a global environmental disaster, says not for the first time. In April of this year in the Declaration "state of the world", timed for the next UN summit, it was reported that of humanity were only ten years to avoid a global ecological catastrophe, is fraught with irreversible consequences. "Studies show that the further existence of ecosystems in the form in which they were supported in the last century the well-being of human civilization, is under threat", - the document said.

In November last year the international panel on climate change (IPCC) warned that due to global warming humanity is waiting for the floods and drought. And the less people are willing to meet the raging elements, the greater the risk of not cope with the catastrophe of global scale.

One way to avoid the world of collapse at the beginning of the year announced in NASA. It was suggested 14 steps to control emissions of greenhouse gases. These measures, according to scientists, can save the planet from global warming and prevent the global crisis.

Bolshakova Anna