Food Systems and Planetary Boundaries
Learn how food systems affect climate, biodiversity, freshwater, land, nutrients, and the planetary boundaries—and how sustainable food systems can nourish people and the planet.
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“Food systems”
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The Haber-Bosch Process and the Global Food System
The Haber-Bosch process is an industrial method that synthesizes ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen, providing the foundation for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. It is estimated to…
Local Food vs Low-Carbon Food: Understanding the Difference
Local food is defined by geographic proximity, while low-carbon food is defined by its total greenhouse gas emissions across the entire supply chain. Although…
Hypoxia vs Anoxia in Aquatic Ecosystems: Definitions, Causes, and Consequences
Hypoxia and anoxia are conditions of low and zero dissolved oxygen, respectively, in water bodies. They occur when oxygen consumption by biological and chemical…
How Predator Loss Changes Entire Ecosystems
Predator loss triggers trophic cascades that can unravel entire ecosystems, leading to overgrazing, habitat degradation, and loss of biodiversity. Understanding these cascading effects reveals…
How Microplastics Move Through Food Webs
Microplastics, tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size, enter food webs when they are ingested by organisms at the base of the…
Why Environmental Problems Are Systems Problems
Environmental problems are systems problems because they arise from complex interactions between natural and human systems, characterized by feedback loops, non-linear dynamics, and interconnected…
Systems Thinking for Sustainability
Learn how systems thinking helps solve sustainability challenges by understanding feedback loops, complexity, resilience, leverage points, and interconnected Earth systems.
Biodiversity and Biosphere Integrity: Why Living Systems Matter
Learn why biodiversity and biosphere integrity are essential for Earth system stability, ecosystem resilience, climate regulation, and human well-being.
How E-Waste Affects People and Ecosystems
Electronic waste, or e-waste, contains hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, and flame retardants that, when improperly disposed of or informally recycled, contaminate air,…