terrestrial ecosystems: Loss of tropical rain forest and woodland
30 20 10 0
50% 25% 0
terrestrial ecosystems: Amount of domesticated land
30 20 10 0
global biodiversity: Rate of species loss
Figure 1.1 Humanity’s remarkable environmental journey from the industrial revolution until today. Starting in the mid-1950s, we see for the fi rst time, global-scale changes in Earth system in essentially all of the environmental processes that form the basis for our modern economy. Why? Due to the dramatic increase in human activity.
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THE HUMAN QU EST – PROSP E R ITY WITH IN PLAN ETARY BO U N DAR I ES
% of 1700 value
% Fisheries fully exploited
% Loss of total column ozone
CO2 (ppmv)
% of Total land area
Shirmp farm production Million MT
Temperature Anomaly (°C)
N2O (ppbv)
Species extinctions (thousand)
(1012 moles/year) Nitrogen Flux
Decadal flood frequency
CH4 (ppbv)
year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000