A new report on planetary boundaries indicates that we are nearing a dangerous threshold that could render Earth’s environment unsustainable for human life.
Planetary boundary science was established in 2009 by Johan Rockström and other PIK scientists. This framework describes the impact of human activities on Earth’s biosphere, identifying specific thresholds beyond which the environment may be unable to self-regulate. The nine systems described by PIK’s planetary framework include:
According to the latest report, ocean acidification is now almost beyond the point of no return. The oceans are absorbing increasing amounts of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, especially at higher latitudes, and this process poses an existential threat to calcifying organisms. Entire food systems could break down, and the ocean’s efficiency as a carbon sink would be diminished accordingly.
Researchers have indicated that the planet’s health is at such risk that scientists must work harder to convey this message to a larger audience. PIK researchers are now committing to publishing new measurements of planetary boundaries’ thresholds every year, producing reports that are accessible to a broader audience rather than academics alone.