One Finite Planet

Sustainability++ Here for a good time and a longer time.

Topics and Subtopics.

Climate is only 1 of 9 planetary boundaries for the path to our rare opportunity.

December 8, 2021 December 12, 2021

Despite the common assumption that Earth always will and always has been able to support human life, we live on planet with a dying biosphere that only will soon end this recent brief period of being able to naturally support complex life.

Our rare, if not unique, opportunity is to use the window rather than prematurely close it.

Assuming climate change is an existential threat and not merely an inconvenience, but CO2 emissions are only 1 of 9 planetary boundaries that must be observed in the to keep the window open.

The dawn of the Anthropocene puts risks not only long-term CO₂ balance, but the challenge of working within all planetary boundaries and respect that growth within a shrinking biosphere is best put on hold for an age of one finite planet until we can seize the opportunity to escape the constraints of this one currently dying planet and find longer term solutions.

All 9 planetary boundaries and beyond

Climate is only 1 of 9 planetary boundaries for the path to our rare opportunity.

Climate is only 1 of 9 planetary boundaries for the path to our rare opportunity.

Despite the common assumption that Earth always will and always has been able to support human life, we live on planet with a dying biosphere that only will soon end this recent brief period of being able to naturally support complex life.

Our rare, if not unique, opportunity is to use the window rather than prematurely close it.

Assuming climate change is an existential threat and not merely an inconvenience, but CO2 emissions are only 1 of 9 planetary boundaries that must be observed in the to keep the window open.

The dawn of the Anthropocene puts risks not only long-term CO₂ balance, but the challenge of working within all planetary boundaries and respect that growth within a shrinking biosphere is best put on hold for an age of one finite planet until we can seize the opportunity to escape the constraints of this one currently dying planet and find longer term solutions.

Environment and Climate

Environment: On all paths, disruption is imminent & preparation advisable.

Environment: On all paths, disruption is imminent & preparation advisable.

Either we disrupt the economic system of a gradual path to transition from fossil fuels, extreme weather disrupts us, or most likely we deal with a mix of both disruptions. We are living through many trends that simply cannot continue, and while there is competition for which trend reaching a tipping point will cause the greatest disruption over the next decade, the environment and rising CO2 levels will play a key role by 2030. While some righteous environmentalists protest for everyone to embrace austerity and simply just stop burning fossil fuels, what is required is replacement infrastructure reliant on fossil fuels. In practice we can't switch off until positive action replaces the need for fossil fuels, which is progressing too slowly in a failing effort to avoid disrupting economies and the establishment. Reality is both the extreme weather events that further motivate action and those actions themselves will cause disruption, which will both combine with the disruption from AI and the collapse of economic Ponzi schemes.