04/06/2023
Extracted and Re-posted From: The Guardian
Human activity has pushed the world into the danger zone in seven out of eight new indicators of planetary safety and justice, according to a groundbreaking analysis of the Earth's wellbeing.
Going beyond climate disruption, the report by the Earth Commission group of scientists presents disturbing evidence that our planet faces growing crises of water availability, nutrient loading, ecosystem maintenance and aerosol pollution.
These pose threats to the stability of life-support systems and worsen social equality.
The stud is the most ambitious attempt vet to combine vital signs of planetary health with indicators of human welfare. It sets out a series of "safe and iust" benchmarks for the planet that can be compared to the vital signs for the human body.
Instead of pulse, temperature and blood pressure, the eight indicators it looks at are climate, functional integrity, natural ecosystem area, water flow, groundwater, nitrogen, phosphorus and aerosols.
The authors say the planetary diagnosis is grim but not yet beyond hope, though the time for a remedy is running out.
Joyeeta Gupta, the Earth Commission co-chair, said: "Our doctor would say the Earth is really quite sick right now in many areas. And this is affecting the people living on Earth.
We must not just address symptoms, but also the causes."
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