Ecol. Breaking Boundaries, The Science of Our Planet by DK (2021)
Fenómenos como el cambio climático, el adelgazamiento de la capa de ozono, la acidificación de los océanos y la acelerada pérdida de los ecosistemas y su biodiversidad han llevado a algunos científicos a cuestionarse si los cambios observados podrían desestabilizar al sistema planetario y ocasionar consecuencias adversas para la humanidad. Con este enfoque surgió el concepto de los “límites planetarios”. Un límite planetario delimita un ámbito de actividad seguro para los seres humanos respecto de la resiliencia de la biosfera; en otras palabras, establece la capacidad de la biosfera para recuperarse de las perturbaciones (ocasionados principalmente por las actividades humanas) y regresar a un estado estable (Rockstrom, 2009). Hasta la fecha se han identificado nueve procesos clave que mantienen la integridad del sistema planetario
Fenómenos como el cambio climático, el adelgazamiento de la capa de ozono, la acidificación de los océanos y la acelerada pérdida de los ecosistemas y su biodiversidad han llevado a algunos científicos a cuestionarse si los cambios observados podrían desestabilizar al sistema planetario y ocasionar consecuencias adversas para la humanidad. Con este enfoque surgió el concepto de los “límites planetarios”. Un límite planetario delimita un ámbito de actividad seguro para los seres humanos respecto de la resiliencia de la biosfera; en otras palabras, establece la capacidad de la biosfera para recuperarse de las perturbaciones (ocasionados principalmente por las actividades humanas) y regresar a un estado estable (Rockstrom, 2009). Hasta la fecha se han identificado nueve procesos clave que mantienen la integridad del sistema planetario
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2015—the only functioning tool we have at our disposal today—is a
treaty completely founded on equity and morality, with all its
nonbinding and voluntary goals and targets.
Furthermore, the school strike movement is based firmly on the
idea of climate justice. On morals. Or guilt, if you so wish. And the
reason the movement has been so successful is probably because the
dire consequences of climate inaction no longer just threaten people
“far away”—now they involve everyone’s children. The consequences
have moved closer to those of us who had until this point felt fairly
safe. People have started to get scared. Scared as in really frightened
for the well-being and safety of their loved ones.
If lowering our emissions of greenhouse gases were one of
humanity’s main objectives, we could start right away. When we
humans really put our minds and resources into something, we can
achieve almost anything. Just take the quick and effective
development of vaccines against COVID-19. Unfortunately,
though, our objective today is not to lower our emissions. That is
not what we are fighting for. We are fighting to maintain our
way of life.
“The American way of life is not up for negotiations. Period,” said
US President George H. W. Bush just before the 1992 UN Earth
summit in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, not much has changed. Most
world leaders would probably still say the same, if not through their
words, then certainly through their actions. Or inactions, rather.
So, instead of lowering our emissions we search for “solutions.”
Solutions to what, we should ask? Solutions to a crisis that the vast
majority of us cannot even begin to fully understand? Or solutions
that allow us to be able to go on like before?
Well, why not both you say? But the sad answer is that we have
left it too late for that to be possible. If you read the current best
available science reports—the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR1.5), the
Emissions Gap Report produced by the United Nations Environment
Program, and the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services produced by the Intergovernmental Science-
Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services—you will
see that the climate and ecological crisis can no longer be solved
within today’s financial or legal systems.
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