Name: Let the environment guide our development
Uploaded: 2010-08-31T08:42:00Z
Duration: 17 min 53 s
Description: Human growth has strained the earth's resources, but as Johan Rockström reminds us, our advances also give us the science to recognize this and change behavior. His research has found nine "planetary boundaries" that can guide us in protecting our planet's many overlapping ecosystems.

Human growth has strained the earth's resources, but as Johan Rockström reminds us, our advances also give us the science to recognize this and change behavior. His research has found nine "planetary boundaries" that can guide us in protecting our planet's many overlapping ecosystems.

Let the environment guide our development

Human activity has pushed Earth beyond safe limits, risking the stability that enabled civilization to flourish for 10,000 years. Scientists have identified nine planetary boundaries, such as climate, biodiversity, and freshwater, that define a 'safe operating space' for humanity. Already, three of these boundaries have been crossed, signaling urgent need for global cooperation and transformative change. Examples from agriculture and conservation show that innovative, adaptive solutions can restore resilience to both natural and human systems.