Breaking Boundaries: The Science Behind our Planet

by Johan Rockstrom, Owen Gaffney, Greta Thunberg (Foreword by)

Overview

An accessible summary of the planetary emergency and how to turn things around, from authors whose work is the focus of a new Netflix documentary narrated by David Attenborough.

On the brink of a critical moment in human history, this book presents a vision of “planetary stewardship” – a rethinking of our relationship with our planet – and plots a new course for our future. 

The authors, whose work is the subject of a new documentary due to air on Netflix summer 2021, reveal the full scale of the planetary emergency we face – but also how we can stabilize Earth’s life support system. The necessary change is within our power, if we act now. 
 
In 2009, scientists identified nine planetary boundaries that keep Earth stable, ranging from biodiversity to ozone. Beyond these boundaries lurk tipping points. In order to stop short of these tipping points, the 2020s must see the fastest economic transition in history. This book demonstrates how societies are reaching positive tipping points that make this transition possible: groups such as the schoolchildren led by Greta Thunberg demand political action; countries are committing to eliminating greenhouse gas emissions; and one tipping point has even already passed – the price of clean energy has dropped below that of fossil fuels. The story is accompanied by unique images of Earth produced by Globaïa, the world’s leading visualizers of human impact. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780744028133
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	05/11/2021
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	655,036
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Johan Rockström is a leading global sustainability scientist and chief scientist at Conservation International. He has published several books, presented three TED talks, and, in addition to the Netflix/WWF production Our Planet, he has worked with James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others on several major films and TV productions.

Owen Gaffney is a science writer, journalist, and global sustainability expert who cofounded the Future Earth Media Lab and Rethink.Earth. A regular writer for New Scientist, he is also on the editorial board of Anthropocene Magazine.

Table of Contents

Foreword 8

Introduction 12

Act I

1 Three revolutions that shaped our planet 19

2 A Scottish janitor and a Serbian mathematician discover Earth's hair trigger 33

3 A "wise man" arrives 40

4 The Goldilocks epoch 47

Color plates A

Sleeping giants: Antarctica A1

Rupture with the past A2-3

The Earthshot A4

Act II

5 Three scientific insights have changed how we view Earth 65

6 Planetary boundaries 74

7 Hothouse Earth 89

8 Emergency on planet Earth 96

Color plates B

Sleeping giants: The Amazon B1

The Great Acceleration B2-3

Planetary boundaries B4

Act III

9 Planetary stewardship 107

10 The energy transition 118

11 Feeding 10 billion people within planetary boundaries 129

12 Inequality is destabilizing Earth 142

Color plates C

Novel entities C1

The network effect C2-3

A planet transformed C4

13 Building tomorrow's cities 155

14 The population bomb defused 165

15 Taming the technosphere 171

16 A global economy within planetary boundaries 182

Color plates D

Pathways to stabilize Earth D1

Look back at what we have achieved D2

The Global Safety Net D3

The rise in complexity: Major ruptures in the evolution of Earth D4

17 Earthshot politics and policies 196

18 The roaring 2020s: Four tipping points are converging 204

19 Wise Earth 219

Sources 228

Index 233

Acknowledgments 240

Picture credits 240