A new paper published on Thursday in the journal Science concludes that the Earth is going to cease to be a “safe operating space” for human beings in the coming decade. The 18 researchers involved attempted to gauge the breaking points of Earth’s environment, that is how far we can push the planet before it begins to become inhospitable for us and other species.
According to the paper, we have already crossed four of nine “planetary boundaries,” which include the rate of extinction, deforestation, the alteration of the atmosphere by pouring carbon dioxide itno it, and the flow of nitrogen and phosphorous from agriculture into the ocean.
“What the science has shown is that human activities – economic growth, technology, consumption – are destabilizing the global environment,” said Will Steffan...
