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).