The planet has 8 measures of stability—and we’re pushing past most of them
Two or more safe and just boundaries have already been crossed for 52 percent of the world’s land surface, which affects about 86 percent of the global population. DepositPhotos In 2010, the international non-governmental organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported that humanity is using Earth’s land and resources at the rate of 1.5 planets annually. It predicted that humanity will be consuming the equivalent of 2 planets a year by 2030, should this troubling trend continue. The problem is, humans are still consuming natural resources unsustainably, but there’s only one Earth. According to new research, we might be pushing past its limits already. In a recent Nature study, more than 40 international scientists assessed the planet’s capacity to provide a safe future. They studied eight Earth system boundaries (ESB): climate, air pollution,...