A new study has issued a warning that Earth is progressively becoming less hospitable to humans, with the planet at risk of experiencing large-scale, abrupt, or irreversible environmental changes due to human activities.
Published in the Science Advances journal, the study revealed that six out of nine planetary boundaries have been breached due to human-induced pollution and the destruction of the natural world.
Planetary boundaries are a set of guidelines established by scientists to define the limits within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations.
These nine planetary boundaries were initially proposed by a group of 29 internationally renowned scientists in 2009 and include:
Biosphere integrity
Climate change
Freshwater changes
Ocean acidification
Stratospheric ozone depletion
Atmospheric aerosol loading
Land system change
The introduction of novel entities like synthetic chemicals and nuclear waste
Biogeochemical flows such as the movement of nitrogen through global element cycles.
Out of these, six boundaries have been breached, including biosphere integrity, climate change, freshwater changes, land system change, the introduction of novel entities (like synthetic chemicals and nuclear waste), and biogeochemical flows (such as the movement of nitrogen through global element cycles).
Johan Rockstrom, study co-author and director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, stated, “We are in very bad shape.” He emphasized that the analysis demonstrates the planet’s diminishing resilience and the critical state it’s in.
On September 13, the scientists announced the updated list, adding a sixth factor to the unsafe category. Water, previously categorized as “barely safe,” was moved to the “out-of-bounds” category due to worsening river run-off, improved measurements, and better understanding of the issue.
Rockstrom noted that these boundaries “determine the fate of the planet” and that nine factors have been “scientifically well established” by numerous external studies. He expressed concern that the declining resilience could hinder efforts to achieve the 1.5°C climate goal and bring the world closer to critical tipping points.
The study, based on an analysis of 2,000 studies, indicated that several planetary boundaries had been transgressed long ago. The scientists concluded that “Earth is now well outside of the safe operating space for humanity,” with six of the nine boundaries breached.
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