Human activity is pushing Earth to dangerous levels at seven of eight safety boundaries, with many factors threatening the stability of life-support systems.
Water resources are one of the factors that show the health of the Earth in the analysis. Photo: AP
Beyond climate disruption, the report by the Earth Commission’s scientists provides worrying evidence that the planet is facing crises in water, environmental nutrients, ecosystem maintenance and aerosol pollution. These are threats to the stability of life-support systems and lead to less social equality, according to the analysis published on May 31 in the journal Nature .
The situation is dire in almost every category. Aerosol pollution from vehicle exhaust, factories, coal, and oil and gas power plants is occurring on a global scale.
Water quality and habitat loss for freshwater species are also being reduced. This safety line has been crossed in one-third of the world’s land area by dams, irrigation, and construction. The same problem applies to groundwater systems, where the safety line is that aquifers cannot be depleted faster than they can be replenished. However, 47% of river basins are shrinking at an alarming rate. This is a major problem in population centers like Mexico City and agricultural regions like the North China Plain.
Nutrients are another concern, as farmers in richer countries are spraying more nitrogen and phosphorus than their crops and soils can absorb. This temporarily boosts yields, but the chemicals end up in river systems, causing algal blooms and making water unhealthy for drinking. The safe limit in this case is a global excess of 61 million tons of nitrogen and 6 million tons of phosphorus.
On climate, the world has set a target of keeping global warming to as low as possible 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The Earth Commission stresses that this is a dangerous milestone because many people are already suffering from the extreme heat, drought and flooding that come with the current temperature increase of 1.2 degrees Celsius. According to them, the safe target is 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels, requiring major efforts to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
To achieve this goal, about 50-60% of the world’s land area must contain natural ecosystems. However, the reality is that only 45-50% of the planet has intact ecosystems. In human-modified areas such as farms, cities and industrial areas, at least 20-25% of land should be reserved for semi-natural environments such as parks and green spaces to maintain ecological functions such as pollination, water quality regulation and pest management. However, about two-thirds of modified land does not meet this target.
The analysis of the state of the Earth is bleak, but not without hope, according to the team. "Our doctors have diagnosed the Earth as being quite sick in many areas. This is affecting the people who live on Earth. We cannot just treat the symptoms, we have to address the root causes," Joyeeta Gupta, professor of environment and development at North China Plain University and co-chair of the Earth Commission, stressed.
The new study is the most comprehensive attempt yet to combine key indicators of planetary health with human well-being, according to lead author Professor Johan Rockström. The Earth Commission, which is made up of dozens of the world’s leading research institutions, is using the analysis to form the scientific basis for the next set of sustainability goals, beyond the current focus on climate. The organization hopes cities and businesses will adopt the new goals as a way to measure the impact of their activities.
An Khang (According to Guardian )
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