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Papers = Ideas and Notes (Rockstorm paper (Planetary boundaries (Proposed…
Papers = Ideas and Notes
Rockstorm paper
Summary:
- A new approach has been proposed for defining preconditions
- Crossing certain biophysical thresholds could have disastrous consequences for humanity
- 3 of 9 interlinked planetary boundaries have already been overstepped
Introduction:
- The stability of the planet's environment is under threat.
- Humans actions have become the main driver of global environmental change
- Human activity could see the Earth's system pushed outside a stable environment state
- Before the threat of human activity, environmental change occurred naturally and Earth's regulatory capacity maintained the conditions
- Regular temps, freshwater availability and biogeochemical flows all stayed within a relatively narrow range
- Due to reliance on fossil fuels and industrialised forms of agriculture, human activities have reached a level that could damage the systems
Planetary boundaries
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These define the safe operating space for humanity with respect to the earth system and biophysical processes
Scientists have tried to identify the Earth-system processes and associated thresholds which, if crossed, could generate unacceptable environmental change.
Nine Processes:
- Climate Change
- Rate of Biodiversity loss
- Interference with the nitrogen and phosphorous cycles
- Stratospheric ozone depletion
- Ocean acidification
- Global freshwater use
- Change in water use
- Chemical pollution
- Aerosol loaiding
Climate Change
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There is a growing convergence towards a ‘2 °C guardrail’
approach, that is, containing the rise in
global mean temperature to no more than 2 °C
above the pre-industrial level.
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