Earth is 'Outside the Safe Operating Space,' Study Finds

What's the story?

• An assessment of the state of the planet has found that the earth is "well outside the safe operating space for humanity" due to human-caused damage to its life support systems.
• The researchers deemed the analysis, which was published in the journal Science Advances and based on 2,000 studies, the "first scientific health check for the entire planet."
• The team identified two key actions to address the situation: phasing out fossil fuel burning and ending destructive, energy-intensive agricultural practices.

Broken boundaries

• The boundaries are not irreversible tipping points but rather points after which the earth is at risk of severe changes in its biological and chemical support systems. The assessment found that six out of nine planetary boundaries have been breached due to human-caused climate change. They found that air pollution and ocean acidification are near to being irreparably broken.
• The only boundary not currently threatened is atmospheric ozone. This is due to concerted action over the past several decades to reverse holes in the ozone layer.
• The biosphere integrity boundary, which includes the healthy functioning of ecosystems, was broken in the late 19th century, and the limits for land use and freshwater were broken in the 20th century.
• The boundary representing the flow of nitrogen and phosphorus has been breached, leading to ocean dead zones, algal blooms, and acidification.
• In 2022, synthetic pollution, which encompasses pesticides, plastics, and nuclear waste, had its boundary broken. 
• The scientists found that the four biological boundaries impacting the living world were at or close to the highest risk level. 

What are scientists saying?

• Professor Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and leader of the team that developed the boundaries, said:

"Science and the world at large are really concerned over all the extreme climate events hitting societies across the planet. But what worries us, even more, is the rising signs of dwindling planetary resilience."

• Professor Katherine Richardson from the University of Copenhagen said: 

"We know for certain that humanity can thrive under the conditions that have been here for 10,000 years – we don't know that we can thrive under major, dramatic alterations [and] humans impacts on the Earth system as a whole are increasing as we speak."

• Jonathan Overpeck from the University of Michigan said the study is "deeply troubling in its implications for the planet and people should be worried."

How concerned are you about our impact on the planet?

-Emma Kansiz 

(Photo Credit: Canva)