All life on earth ultimately depends on energy and how it flows between biological and geochemical systems on the planet. Katherine Richardson and her team identified nine boundaries which need to be respected if our planet is to remain conducive to human thriving. Climate change is just one of them.
We are exceeding six boundaries, and in recent years they are all getting worse.
Katherine discusses how she and her team identified the nine planetary boundaries and why it is essential to consider how they interact, instead of viewing them as independent issues. The effects of exceeding planetary boundaries are affecting life today, disrupting air travel, causing severe flooding, and contributing to more frequent and powerful storms. (For the most up to date overview, read Planetary Boundaries guide humanity’s future on Earth, published in Nature magazine on November 8, 2024.)
We have the knowledge and technology to live within the planetary boundaries; the question remains whether we have the will, and the time, to implement them.
The nine planetary boundaries are:
- Climate change
- Biosphere integrity
- Stratospheric ozone depletion
- Ocean acidification
- Phosphorus and nitrogen biogeochemical flows
- Land system change
- Freshwater change
- Atmospheric aerosol loading
- Novel entities
A video recording is also available:
