Our future in the Anthropocene biosphere

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed an interconnected and tightly coupled globalized world in rapid change. This article sets the scientific stage for understanding and responding to such change for global sustainability and resilient societies. We provide a systemic overview of the current situation where people and nature are dynamically intertwined and embedded in the biosphere, placing shocks and extreme events as part of this dynamic; humanity has become the major force in shaping the future of the Earth system as a whole; and the scale and pace of the human dimension have caused climate change, rapid loss of biodiversity, growing inequalities, and loss of resilience to deal with uncertainty and surprise. Taken together, human actions are challenging the biosphere foundation for a prosperous development of civilizations. The Anthropocene reality—of rising system-wide turbulence—calls for transformative change towards sustainable futures. Emerging technologies, social innovations, broader shifts in cultural repertoires, as well as a diverse portfolio of active stewardship of human actions in support of a resilient biosphere are highlighted as essential parts of such transformations.

Authors

Folke, Carl
External Organizations

Polasky, Stephen
External Organizations

Rockström, Johan
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Galaz, Victor
External Organizations

Westley, Frances
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Lamont, Michèle
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Scheffer, Marten
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Österblom, Henrik
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Carpenter, Stephen R.
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Chapin, F. Stuart
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Seto, Karen C.
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Weber, Elke U.
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Crona, Beatrice I.
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Daily, Gretchen C.
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Dasgupta, Partha
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Gaffney, Owen
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Gordon, Line J.
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Hoff, Holger
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Levin, Simon A.
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Lubchenco, Jane
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Steffen, Will
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Walker, Brian H.
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Tags

rd1 - earth system analysis director rockström