This is the question Professor Klaus Hubacek from the University of Groningen, Netherlands, is working to answer through his research on planetary boundaries.
With a population of eight billion, our consumption of land, water, and other resources puts immense pressure on Earth. Hubacek’s work explores how our lifestyles could be adapted to stay within Earth’s capacity. Achieving this goal, he argues, will require policies grounded in scientific evidence.
One clear indicator of our impact is the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which has surged since the 1960s, fueling climate change and its negative consequences. In 2009, scientists identified nine “planetary boundaries” that measure Earth's environmental limits. Crossing these thresholds risks destabilizing the planet. As of 2023, humanity has exceeded six of these boundaries, including fresh water use and ocean acidification.
Hubacek's research focuses on how close we are to breaching these boundaries and what changes are needed to avoid further harm. "Given the number of people on Earth, we must assess how much we can consume to stay within safe limits," he says.
Inequality in Resource Consumption
A major theme in Hubacek's work is the disparity in consumption between the wealthy and the poor. Today, the wealthiest 1% of people generate 50 times more greenhouse gases than the bottom 50% of the global population. A recent study co-authored by Hubacek, published in Nature, analyzed data on 201 consumer groups across 168 countries, revealing that shifting consumption habits among the world’s top 20% could reduce their environmental impact by as much as 53%.
Hubacek’s research shows that changes in food and service consumption alone could help bring critical environmental indicators back within safe limits.
Lifestyle Changes for a Sustainable Future
Previous studies by Hubacek have explored specific lifestyle changes to stay within planetary boundaries. For instance, a 2023 study revealed that if wealthier populations adopted diets with less red meat and more legumes and nuts, food emissions could decrease by 17%, even allowing increased meat consumption in poorer countries.
More recently, Hubacek highlighted the livestock industry's outsized impact on planetary boundaries. While a plant-based diet is helpful in some regions, he notes that solutions should be region-specific—some populations, such as Mongolian nomads, rely on animal-based food systems.
Despite identifying solutions, Hubacek stresses that many existing, effective measures are underutilized. Government subsidies, for instance, often encourage harmful practices, such as fossil fuel use, even as carbon pricing attempts to curb emissions. “There are also contradictory policies, like promoting heat pumps but simultaneously raising electricity costs,” he points out.
A Sustainable Future Is Possible
Hubacek’s research underscores that a sustainable future is achievable, but political commitment is needed. He acknowledges the growing fear and frustration among young people faced with climate change. Yet, Hubacek remains hopeful, advocating for evidence-based policies over new technological solutions. He emphasizes that his work is driven by scientific interest, not activism, though he seeks meaningful change.
To stay within planetary boundaries, humanity must address global inequalities, rethink consumption patterns, and adopt policies that align with Earth’s environmental limits.
#KuishuangFeng, #University_of_Groningen #EarthEnvironment #Nanotechnology
#Physics #Earth #Astronomy & #Space #Chemistry #Biology
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