Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet
- 13 February 2015
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 347 (6223), 1259855
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259855
Abstract
The planetary boundaries framework defines a safe operating space for humanity based on the intrinsic biophysical processes that regulate the stability of the Earth system. Here, we revise and update the planetary boundary framework, with a focus on the underpinning biophysical science, based on targeted input from expert research communities and on more general scientific advances over the past 5 years. Several of the boundaries now have a two-tier approach, reflecting the importance of cross-scale interactions and the regional-level heterogeneity of the processes that underpin the boundaries. Two core boundaries—climate change and biosphere integrity—have been identified, each of which has the potential on its own to drive the Earth system into a new state should they be substantially and persistently transgressed.Funding Information
- U.S. National Science Foundation
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Swedish Research Council
- Trottier Institute for Science and Public Policy
- Branco Weiss fellowship
- Stordalen Foundation
- Riksbanken Jubileumsfond
- Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton NJ
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