On water, climate and natural areas, the Earth is already beyond safety limits: this was announced by an international scientific commission made up of over 40 researchers from all over the world, which has drawn the boundaries beyond which the Earth will cease to be a safe environment for humanity. The analysis also includes for the first time parameters such as justice and equity, in the same way as those that evaluate the well-being of our planet’s ecosystems and biophysical processes. According to the study, published in the journal Nature, the data is worrying: many of these limits considered safe have already been exceeded and others, such as those relating to air pollution, are not far away. This poses serious threats to the stability of the Earth, to ecosystems and their vital contribution to humanity.
“Justice is a necessity for human life on Earth: overwhelming evidence shows that a just and equitable approach is essential for planetary stability,” comments Joyeeta Gupta of the University of Amsterdam and Delft Institute for Water Education , one of the authors of the study led by Johan Rockström, of the German Institute for Climate Impact Research in Potsdam. “It is therefore necessary to define the right objectives – says Gupta – to prevent significant damage and guarantee access to resources”.
Researchers have estimated safer limits for climate, biodiversity, water use and different types of pollution: most of these are already violated, particularly in the Middle East, South-West Asia and Eastern Europe. For example, the estimated safer climate limit of 1 degree above pre-industrial temperature levels has been exceeded, since we are already 1.2 degrees above that threshold. Even beyond the boundary of at least 50-60% of intact natural areas globally and 20-25% per square kilometer locally: intact natural ecosystems have already dropped below 45-50% and, locally, more than two thirds of the soil does not respect the threshold considered fair and safe. Furthermore, the alteration of the water flow due to human activities has reached 34%, where the limit is set at 20%, while the withdrawal of water from the aquifers has reached dangerous levels for 47% of the resources of global water. And the same can be said for the level of fertilizers poured into watercourses and basins, broken due to various substances.
“The results of our analysis are quite worrying: within the analyzed factors, several boundaries, on a global and local scale, have already been crossed,” says Rockström. “This means that unless a timely transformation occurs, it is very likely that irreversible tipping points and widespread impacts on human well-being will be unavoidable. Avoiding this scenario – continues the researcher – is essential if we want to guarantee a safe and just future for current and future generations”.
Source: Ansa
I am a journalist with over 6 years of experience working in the news industry. I currently work as an author for Global Happenings, and my coverage focuses on Technology news. I have written for various publications, including Reuters, The New York Times and The Guardian.
