BOOK REVIEW
Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet, by Johan Rockström and
Owen Gaffney, New York, New York, DK, 2021, 227 pp. ISBN: 978-0-7440-2813-3.
What is our destiny? As we look forward to COP26 (Glasgow) in the fall, this book makes clear what must be achieved. Our planet is in crisis. But we’re not only experiencing a climate emergency, we face massive ecological disasters on many fronts. Breaking Boundaries builds upon collaborative research, specifically highly cited scientific papers (2009, 2009, 2015, 2019) which introduced the novel concept of “planetary boundaries” ̶ irreversible and abrupt tipping points (non-linear changes) in our Earth’s systems. Not only has this ground breaking approach catalyzed a new area of academic research, over recent years, Rockström has clarified this model to a widening audience via TED Talks and other public formats (including a recent Netflix documentary).
With original and holistic treatment of the Anthropocene, this work distinguishes
itself within a crowd of meaningful sustainability treatises. In the first of three “Acts,” Rockström and Gaffney embark on a compressed history of the universe and our home
planet. Once arriving at evolution of Homo sapiens, the reader is guided through critical junctures as well as human-induced
transformations shaping our path.
The authors define Earth’s nine unyielding precipices in Act II. We learn the “big three” regulating systems with known tipping points are our climate, ozone layer, and ocean. Connected to these are four moderating thresholds: the integrity of all living species (biodiversity); land; freshwater; and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) cycles. The last two boundaries stem from novel entities and aerosols; particularly certain technologies / hazards such as artificial intelligence (AI), nuclear waste, wildfire smoke, and fossil fuel emissions. Critically, we have already overstepped four of these nine edges ̶ climate, biodiversity, land, and nutrient use.
Mitigation measures (actions needed to stabilize our planet) are collected in Act III and form an “Earth Shot” ̶ our last chance to change course and build a more equitable, livable, and resilient biosphere. This can be our destiny. Rockström and Gaffney give an absorbing account of where we came from, where we are, and where we need to go.
Liisa Antilla Kellems
Environmental Geographer
Seattle, WA USA
OneBlueWorld.blogspot.com
