U of M expert says Earth's health reaching critical tipping point, and climate change is just one...

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www1.umn.edu/news/expert-alerts/2010/UR_CONTENT_181549.html

U of M expert says Earth's health reaching critical tipping point, and climate change is just one of the problems

With climate change at the front and center of today’s political debates, the other indicators of the Earth’s environmental health are not always top of mind in the public conscience.

Featured as part of the cover story of Scientific American magazine’s April issue, which hits newsstands on Wednesday, March 24, U of M professor Jon Foley makes the case for why we need to pay more attention to all environmental processes that contribute to the Earth’s health. In his article, “Boundaries for a Healthy Planet,” he argues that while climate change gets ample attention, species loss and nitrogen pollution exceed safe limits by greater degrees. In addition, other environmental processes such as ocean acidification and stratospheric ozone depletion are also moving toward dangerous thresholds.

Foley calls for swift action to address these developments and push back from planetary “tipping points” that would thrust the global environment and human life into dangerous new territory. First steps include promptly switching to low-carbon energy sources, curtailing land clearing and revolutionizing agricultural practices.

To listen to a podcast of Foley discussing this article and to view a video dramatizing the issues raised, visit http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=is-earth-past-the-tipping-point-2010-03-18.

...

[Laura902]

1. No one is blameless

we have all contributed to the decline of the health of our planet and the other species who live with us who we destroy day by day. We are moving towards the 6th great extinction, only this time it is caused by humans.