What are ‘planetary boundaries’ and why should we care?

By Katherine Richardson, Professor in Biological Oceanography, University of Copenhagen
Xuemei Bai, Distinguished Professor, Australian National University

As far as we know, there is exactly one planet in our Solar System – and the galaxy – which hosts life. And you’re on it.

For the first 800 million years, Earth was dead. Then life began making itself at home. For over three billion years, lifeforms have helped shape their own environment. Earth’s energy balance (commonly known as the climate) and its interactions with trillions of species is the main determinant of environmental conditions.

As you know, one species – ours – is exceptionally good at changing our environment to suit us. The problem is, we’re now too good…

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