Earth has already breached six of nine planetary safety boundaries

A new study conducted by scientists from various countries led by the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, The structure called “planetary boundaries” has been updated. This is a checklist of nine physical and environmental limits proposed in 2009 to measure critical points, or thresholds, at which Earth cannot sustain stably human life.

According to the research, Six of the nine planetary boundaries are already in the red zoneThis means that human activities are putting unsustainable pressure on the Earth system, pushing it beyond the “safe operating zone.” According to research, security means livability for most species, including our own.

According to 29 scientists who participated in the research, the following vital limits are deeply endangered: climate change, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, synthetic chemicals (including plastics), freshwater depletion and nitrogen (nitrogen) use. Of the remaining three, two are borderline: ocean acidification and concentration of pollutant particles in the atmosphere.

Biomass use impacts Earth’s biodiversity

The study also suggests: Adoption of the ecological concept of Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) as a key criterion for assessing human impacts on biodiversity.

The research highlights the interaction between increasing CO2 concentration and reducing HANPP, a measure of the fraction of plant biomass produced through photosynthesis that is used by humans to produce food, feed, fuel, construction materials and other purposes.

New system models for the world

As with climate, whose planetary limits were set at 1.5°C in the Paris agreement, “a world developing within the limits defined by science is the only way forward in our current situation of increasing risks and potentially catastrophe on a planetary scale”, one of the creators of the concept of “planetary boundaries” and the current co-author of the study, Johan Rockström, states in a publication.

However, the Swedish scientist says this alone is not enough. If we truly want to achieve prosperity and equality for all Earth’s inhabitants, the science of planetary boundaries needs to be a true “guide to action.” Rockström emphasizes that the model goes beyond climate and also includes “systematic efforts to protect, recover and rebuild the resilience of the planet.”

According to the study’s conclusion, the good news is that all critical boundaries can be turned into safe workspaces. For the paper’s first author, Katherine Richardson, it’s simple math: Just limit the waste we put into open environments and the living and nonliving raw materials we extract, quantitatively, explains the University of Copenhagen professor.

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