Our future in the Anthropocene biosphere

Folke, Carl; Polasky, Stephen; Rockström, Johan; Galaz, Victor; Westley, Frances; Lamont, Michèle; Scheffer, Marten; Österblom, Henrik; Carpenter, Stephen R.; Chapin, F. Stuart; Seto, Karen C.; Weber, Elke U.; Crona, Beatrice I.; Daily, Gretchen C.; Dasgupta, Partha; Gaffney, Owen; Gordon, Line J.; Hoff, Holger; Levin, Simon A.; Lubchenco, Jane; Steffen, Will; Walker, Brian H.

doi:10.1007/s13280-021-01544-8

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Our future in the Anthropocene biosphere

Authors

Folke, Carl
External Organizations;

Polasky, Stephen
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/johan.rockstrom

Rockström, Johan
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Galaz, Victor
External Organizations;

Westley, Frances
External Organizations;

Lamont, Michèle
External Organizations;

Scheffer, Marten
External Organizations;

Österblom, Henrik
External Organizations;

Carpenter, Stephen R.
External Organizations;

Chapin, F. Stuart
External Organizations;

Seto, Karen C.
External Organizations;

Weber, Elke U.
External Organizations;

Crona, Beatrice I.
External Organizations;

Daily, Gretchen C.
External Organizations;

Dasgupta, Partha
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/owen.gaffney

Gaffney, Owen
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Gordon, Line J.
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/hhoff

Hoff, Holger
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Levin, Simon A.
External Organizations;

Lubchenco, Jane
External Organizations;

Steffen, Will
External Organizations;

Walker, Brian H.
External Organizations;

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Citation

Folke, C., Polasky, S., Rockström, J., Galaz, V., Westley, F., Lamont, M., Scheffer, M., Österblom, H., Carpenter, S. R., Chapin, F. S., Seto, K. C., Weber, E. U., Crona, B. I., Daily, G. C., Dasgupta, P., Gaffney, O., Gordon, L. J., Hoff, H., Levin, S. A., Lubchenco, J., Steffen, W., Walker, B. H. (2021): Our future in the Anthropocene biosphere. - Ambio, 50, 4, 834-869.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01544-8

Cite as: https://publications.pik-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_25486

Abstract

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.