Per-Capita vs Total Environmental Impact: The Case of Global CO2 Emissions
In 2022, global total CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and industry reached 36.6 GtCO2, while per-capita emissions stood at 4.7 tCO2 per person, according…
Topic archive
Planetary Boundaries
Core framework outlining safe operating limits for Earth’s systems.
Projected Global Warming by 2100 Under Current Policies: Insights from Integrated Assessment Models
According to the UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2023, integrated assessment models (IAMs) project a median global warming of 2.8°C by 2100 under current policies,…
Increasing CO₂ threatens human nutrition
A 2014 study in Nature found that rising atmospheric CO₂ levels reduce the protein, iron, and zinc content of staple crops like wheat, rice,…
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…
Nuclear Power and Planetary Boundaries
Nuclear power is a low-carbon energy source that can help humanity stay within the climate change planetary boundary, but it also exerts pressure on…
Planetary Boundaries and the Sustainable Development Goals
The planetary boundaries framework defines a safe operating space for humanity based on Earth-system processes, while the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set global targets…
Downscaling Climate Data: Statistical vs Dynamical Methods – Current State and Trends
As of 2024, dynamical downscaling achieves resolutions as fine as 1–3 km, while statistical downscaling provides point-scale projections; both methods are essential for local…
Can One Planetary Boundary Compensate for Another?
Within the planetary boundaries framework, no single boundary can compensate for the transgression of another. Each boundary represents a distinct Earth-system process with its…
Why There Is No Single Global Boundary for Chemical Pollution
Chemical pollution cannot be captured by a single global boundary because it encompasses hundreds of thousands of diverse substances with different toxicities, environmental fates,…
Index Values in Environmental Reports: The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2024
The 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) global average score is 49.5 out of 100, measured in 2024, indicating that the world is far from…