Understanding our Planetary Boundaries 🌎

“We are the first generation to know that we have become a threat to our own existence as a modern civilization.” – Johan Rockström

To explain our battle against anthropogenic climate change, we must understand what the limits of our planet are and how much more environmental degradation can it handle before our survival as a species is threatened. Planetary boundaries are critical biosphere boundaries that need to be maintained and stayed within to avoid catastrophic environmental changes. This proposal was led by Johan Rockström from the Stockholm Resilience Centre and Will Steffen from the Australian National University, with the aim to define a “safe operating space for humanity” for the international community. The study identifies 9 planetary boundaries and establishes a range containing the threshold value inside it. The lower end of this range is the boundary that needs adhered to for us to remain within the said safe zones. These 9 planetary boundaries are as follows:

1. Climate Change

2. Biodiversity Loss

3. Biogeochemical

4. Ocean Acidification

5. Land Use

6. Freshwater

7. Ozone Depletion

8. Atmospheric Aerosols

9. Chemical Pollution

Of the 9 planetary boundaries that have been defined, we are either close to or have already crossed 4 of them. The rapid rate at which deforestation and atmospheric green house gas emissions have increased to make way for human development, has resulted in an unprecedented acceleration of global temperatures resulting in climate change. While on a global scale, boundaries such as fresh water have not been cross, regional analysis shows us that due to unequal distribution of natural resources, these boundaries have been crossed on their level.

Major cities in India have already started facing extreme scarcity of water, increase in floods and hazardous air pollution, making it crucial for us to examine these planetary boundaries on a micro, nation-wide level. With no legislation addressing the issue of climate change and a growing population in the country, it has become harder to tackle the escalation in environmental degradation. A booming tourism industry and lack of enforcement of existing laws coupled with inefficient waste management has resulted in extreme amount of loss in natural resources across India. If we fail to take the required action in implementing effective governance, it will not take long before we lose some of the most precious biodiversity hot-spots this country houses. Furthermore, millions of Indians will be forced to migrate because of the growing environmental problems that have already started making several cities inhospitable!

The Next Step:

• While legal boundaries can help keep human activities in check, they are only as effective as the political will to make and enforce them.

• To stop further degradation from taking place, we need to urge our government to implement the existing laws and policies stringently.

• The shift from non-renewable to renewable energy is our ONLY way forward towards a sustainable future and politicians, policy-makers, executive officers need to answer this call of change at the earliest!

• A legislation aimed at tackling climate change in India needs to be passed and implemented.

If you are interested in learning more about planetary boundaries, check out this course being offered by the scientists from Stockholm Resilience Centre who conceptualised them: https://www.edx.org/course/planetary-boundaries

Source: Stockholm Resilience Centre