Read about how we manage personal data and cookies. The evolution of the planetary boundaries framework. Based on Richardson et al. In September , a team of scientists quantified , for the first time, all nine processes that regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth system.
The Planetary Boundaries are the safe limits for human pressure on the nine critical processes which together maintain a stable and resilient Earth. The update not only quantified all boundaries, it also concluded that six of the nine boundaries have been transgressed. Crossing boundaries increases the risk of generating large-scale abrupt or irreversible environmental changes.
Drastic changes will not necessarily happen overnight, but together the boundaries mark a critical threshold for increasing risks to people and the ecosystems we are part of.
Planetary Boundaries are interdependent, meaning that if we cross one Boundary, we will affect others, or even cause them to cross out of the safe operating space. Boundaries are interrelated processes within the complex biophysical Earth system. We cannot consider Planetary Boundaries in isolation in any decision making on sustainability. Only by respecting all nine boundaries can we maintain the safe operating space for human civilization. Over the years, the planetary boundaries framework has generated enormous interest within science, policy, and practice.
The update to the Planetary boundaries. Download the illustration here. Climate change: The change in the ratio of incoming and outgoing energy of the Earth, caused by increased greenhouse gasses and aerosols.
