Protecting the Earth; Boundaries We Must Not Cross
A group of scientists stated that the humans should keep some boundaries if they would like to be able to live on this planet in the future. Crossing the boundaries might not lead to the destruction of the planet, but it will most likely lead to very harsh consequences for the humans. The experts believe that there are two types of boundaries. If you cross the first one, the consequences are irreparable, whereas the second one would still bring cataclysm but at a slower pace.
We have pushed the planet to some boundaries over the course of history, more precisely when it comes to the nitrogen cycle and the climate change. Many people believe that setting these boundaries is a good way of making the people aware of the possible threats. One such limit is related to the stratospheric zone. If the ozone layer would have been destroyed even more, we would have ended in a very difficult situation. The experts believe that if a ban on certain substances would have not been imposed in the past years, then we would have gotten sunburned within minutes because of the state of the ozone layer. The environmental scientists believe that the ozone located in the stratosphere, which is a level above the atmosphere, will be decreased by 5 percent in the future. However, many experts believe that the situation is much grimmer because they predict that the ozone will be decreased much more than that. It is believed that a decrease of more than 60 percent in the ozone layer is the limit of human survivability on this planet.
We have used the land ever since the beginning of time. We have built houses on it, we have developed crops on it, and we have used it for various reasons. It has been revealed that we have so far used 12 percent of the overall land of this planet. It might not seem too much, but the experts say that the limit we should reach should be of 15 percent. Fifteen percent should be enough for us as humans, and the rest should be kept for the animals and for the plants of this planet. Steve Bass, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London stated that the limit is acceptable, but he also stated that it is too early to set a limit. He stated that we have evolved thanks to the farming and industry which has been built on the land. He believes that the humans should better set a limit for soil loss or soil degradation. He also believes that the humans should use the land in the proper manner, because the improper use has led to loss of soil and has created dust storms.
The freshwater use can also impose a real problem. Water is needed because without it, life would not be possible on this planet. The problem is that we as humans overuse it most of the time. We currently use 624 cubic miles (2,600 cubic kilometers) of water each year, and the experts believe that we should not use more than 960 cubic miles (4,000 cubic kilometers). David Molden, deputy director general for research at the International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka believes that the limit might be set too high, because reaching that limit will result in serious consequences. He believes that the situation can not be assessed very well because not all the areas of the world use the same quantities of water. For example the dry places such as the ones from Africa do not use as much water as the other areas. Certain zones might possibly waste it, and the problem is that the water can not be distributed equally.
Ocean acidification is another problem with which we might have to face in the future. It is not as known as the other ones from the list, but even so, it is a real threat. The ocean acidification occurs when the minerals required by the organisms to survive are dissolved because of the high levels of carbon dioxide. The marine life might be destroyed if the process is not reversed, and as a result the humans will suffer as well, especially the ones who depend on the fish and other sea creatures. The boundary is set by the aragonite level, as the experts believe that it should be 80 percent of the average global pre-industrial level. It is believed that certain species can survive low aragonite level, but many of them can not, and as a result, a limit from this point of view should exist.
The biodiversity loss can also be a real problem because the numbers of species which go extinct is starting to increase at an alarming rate. It is very difficult for the experts to keep track of all the species, and as a result it is very difficult to set a limit for the biodiversity loss. There are many cases when the scientists do not discover certain species until after they have been extinct. It is very difficult to protect all the species, but it must be done.
The Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles are very important as well because the nitrogen is extremely important for the human life and for the life on this planet as well. Phosphorus is important as well because it is essential for the growth of various plants.
The climate change should be one of the biggest concerns for us. Global warming and all the other weather occurrences are directly related to the pollution we have caused. Some believe that setting a limit for the carbon dioxide release is pretty difficult because they believe that even if we would control that, the weather would still change, as we have no control over it. Some believe that the carbon dioxide concentration in the air should not exceed 350 parts per million (ppm), because otherwise the process of global warming would be highly accelerated.
