Most people don’t live with the burden of knowing what will happen to our planet.
Riley Endsley does.
Endsley gazes at the now often hazy Austin skyline, whispering, “I’ve seen this coming for a long time.”
A master’s student studying environmental health at Johns Hopkins University, Endsley was not shocked by a recent United Nations report warning that the world is now expected to exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold established as a key goal of the Paris Agreement.
Her reaction was simple.
“We were warned about this,” Endsley said. “All we have done is progress it.”
The United Nations Environment Programme’s September report, found that global temperatures are now likely to cross 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels within the next few years. Under the best-case scenario analyzed by the report, warming would peak around 1.8 degrees Celsius before eventually declining. Other pathways would push the planet beyond 2 degrees.
Higher temperatures mean greater risks of extreme weather, sea-level rise, ecosystem loss and pressure on food and water supplies. The UN report warns that every additional fraction of a degree raises the risk of irreversible environmental changes.
For Endsley, one of the clearest examples is happening underwater.
“The death of coral reefs will lead to a domino effect that will impact all other biodiversity on the planet,” she said.
Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor but support at least 25% of marine species, according to UNEP. More than 1 billion people also depend on reefs for food, jobs, recreation or protection from storm surges. Their decline could threaten marine biodiversity, fisheries, coastal economies and food security around the world.
Endsley points to wildfires, worsening heat and flooding as evidence of the kind of future scientists have warned about.
Central Texas has already seen how quickly extreme weather can become deadly. On July 4, 2025, catastrophic flooding struck the Texas Hill Country after extreme rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to rise dramatically in a matter of hours. At least 135 people died in the broader July flooding event.
“When we see more of what we are seeing now, in a more intensified setting, we will see our planet impacted,” Endsley said.
But not all is lost.
“Yes,” Endsley said when asked whether humanity can still avoid the worst outcomes. “The planet and its species are resilient, but we cannot keep tearing down the natural world.”
She points to protecting forests, transitioning to renewable energy, changing transportation systems and reconsidering food production as solutions scientists already understand.
The UN agrees that action matters. Its report emphasizes that reducing methane emissions, protecting forests, land and oceans, and transitioning away from fossil fuels could limit how high temperatures rise and how long the world remains above the 1.5-degree threshold.
“I think we will be left with no choice,” Endsley said. “Scientifically, we know what has to be done.”
Heili Suárez, a nusring student, said she believes many people remain disconnected from what is happening to the planet.
“Humans have always been destructive to the planet,” Suárez said. “No one really starts to care until it’s too late.”
Born in Puerto Rico, Suárez said her relationship with the environment was shaped by growing up around people who valued the land around them.
“People grow, respect and live amongst land,” she said. “We want to preserve our little island.”
In Texas, she often notices something different: land cleared for apartments, development and more people, sometimes with little thought for the animals and ecosystems already there.
A peer of Suárez’s, who asked not to be named, described a similar awareness shaped by growing up in Thailand.
“I don’t think people will care until they have another choice,” the peer said. “I care about our planet, and I want to see humans be able to enjoy her longer.”
Endsley believes communication has to become the priority.
“The only way to get through to people is to get to know them, what they care about and how that ties back to the planet,” she said.
Endsley says public transportation, reducing meat consumption, and researching the companies people support matters.
“It’s easy to think a change in your own day won’t make a difference,” Endsley said. “It absolutely will.”
For now, the science says the world will cross a threshold it once hoped to avoid.
What happens after that is still a choice.
“We know what has to happen,” Endsley said. “We will have to save ourselves from ourselves.”
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