The planet is getting into serious trouble. Evidence of this is all around. For example, the Sept. 24 issue of the leading scientific journal “Nature” featured an article titled “A safe operating space for humanity,” by 29 internationally known authors. The article identifies 10 planetary boundaries that, if transgressed, could cause unacceptable environmental change. The boundaries include three that humans have already transgressed: greenhouse gas limits, species extinctions, and interference with the nitrogen cycle. The others, where current trends are pushing us toward dangerous conditions, are interference with the phosphorus cycle, stratospheric ozone depletion, ocean acidification, freshwater consumption, excessive land cover converted to cropland, atmospheric aerosols, and pollution by long-lived chemicals.

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