Planetary Boundaries - Exploring the Safe Operating Space for Humanity

Every second Monday we have a philosophy group where we discuss all sorts of things political and philosophical – and it keeps us on our toes to be sure.  Anton who is a retired professor from the university has been central to keeping us focussed, so sometimes I feel that it is more of a university tutorial than a fun 3 hours of discussion, although we do throw in a couple of beers to lighten the mood, and there are no academic requirements that need to be fulfilled so it has been a wonderful journey so far. 

Even the Pope has held forth on this matter

The guys were kind to me at the outset, knowing that I am coming from an Earth Science background, so we had long discussions around the new geological period which has come to be known as the ‘Anthropocene’.  We read several papers on the ecological and environmental meltdown that we are facing, and it turned out that even the Pope has held forth on the topic, writing a many-paged discourse on the crisis.  This is not news to us, and the likes of David Attenborough have been banging this drum for many years, along with a host of other high-profile figures. 

They are happy to kick the can down the road

Of course, most of us wish it to be otherwise, but it is such a complex issue, and politicians also seem happy to kick the can down the road, leaving the problem for another generation to solve.  No politician is going to sacrifice jobs and economic growth in favour of the environment, and of course none of us want to see a drop in our living standards – for those of us who have a standard in the first place – and so it becomes a balancing act, trying to address the environmental crisis whilst trying to ensure that people are able to prosper, not to mention the fact that those in less developed countries also need to get a shot at a decent life.

Where we are in terms of transgressing these boundaries

Rockström et.al. wrote a paper in 2009 titled Planetary Boundaries: Exploring the Safe Operating Space for Humanity. It's an interesting read, defining planetary boundaries, quantifying them, and then seeing where we are in terms of transgressing them.  We are out of bounds in three instances, and that was just over ten years ago.  Its value lies in the fact that it quantifies the problem and provides a snapshot of where we currently stand in terms of planetary health.  Grab yourself a copy by clicking on the link below.

This will be a straight download with no requirement for an email address

So looking forward to adventuring with you