Lecture 10 Climate change and other planetary boundaries 3 Flashcards
Climate change: sources of projection uncertainty
Source and magnitude of uncertainties also vary with timescale and location and the variable of interest (e.g. temperature cf precip). For British Isles decadal temperature and Europe DJF precip:
The great acceleration 1950-??
Trend 1: Loss of Biodiversity
Trend 2: Land degradation
Trend 3: Atmospheric change
Trend 4: Hydrological change
more trends- atmospheric co2 and N20 concentration, ozone depletion
Planetary boundaries - Malthus returns?
New approach proposed for defining pre-conditions for human development
Crossing certain biophysical thresholds could have disastrous consequences
Three of nine interlinked planetary boundaries have already been overstepped
Updated 2015 2.0
sustainability
Humanity is reaching a planetary saturation point
A resilient biosphere is the basis for human development
A great transformation to global sustainability is now necessary, possible, and desirable & will require much work
This does not mean back to the stone-age, it means intelligent growth
Sustainability has many co-benefits for poverty, development, environment, social justice
The alternative is not pretty
What can you do about it?
Understand the pressures on the environment from both a biophysical and a human point of view (geographers are well placed to do this).
Communicate your understanding to others.
Contribute your ’brainpower’ and efforts to finding solutions
Advance your career in a relevant area: green technology, environmental science, social progress at: international, governmental, NGO or commercial organisation.
Rein in your own impacts on the environment and help others to do the same.
Engage in politics and judge candidates on environmental and sustainability credentials
