Nine "Planetary Boundaries" for Sustainable Human Development

A group of 28 leading scientists has made a first attempt to identify and quantify a set of nine planetary boundaries. Keeping within these will act as a safety barrier for sustainable human development, according to the group of scientists in an article published in Nature, September 24. – Human pressure on the Earth System has reached a scale where abrupt global environmental change can no longer be excluded. To continue to live and operate safely, humanity has to stay away from critical ‘hard-wired’ thresholds in Earth’s environment, says lead author Professor Johan Rockström, Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University. 8dCU6jd-S9YListen to Professor Johan Rockström of the Stockholm Resilience Centre when he introduces the Planetary Boundaries concept.

More at:Feature article in Nature, September 24 issue as well as individual commentaries and reader responses:
http://www.nature.com/news/specials/planetaryboundaries/index.html

Full scientific article and video interviews, graphics and further background material:
http://www.stockholmresilience.org/planetary-boundaries