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Human Quest
Finally a book that for the first time presents the state of the Earth as the truly complex issue it really is. Through groundbreaking new science, The Human Quest recognizes what is at stake. The content comes to life through beautiful and dramatic pictures and is thereby the first of its kind to merge science and photography. It serves as an inspiration and guide for action as humankind faces a turning point in our history and the state of the Earth.
Over the past 50 years, our unsustainable ways of living have begun to put massive pressure on the planetary processes that support our well-being and economic development. The Human Quest tells how. Integrating the latest scientific insights with the power of images and real world experience, Johan Rockström and Mattias Klum combine evidence from the many scientific disciplines that study how planet Earth operates and the relations between ourselves and the Earth system. They not only diagnose the problems, but also look at the opportunities and evidence supporting that transitions to a sustainable future are possible.
The book illustrates the fragility and the beauty of our planet, while it lays out the challenges we now face as a human race, providing a framework for navigating these turbulent times. Unlike any other book of its kind, The Human Quest builds this framework from the unique perspective of nine planetary boundaries interactively combined, defined as: climate change, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone, biogeochemical, global freshwater use, land system change, biodiversity loss, chemical pollution, and aerosol loading.
Exceeding these nine planetary boundaries are propelling the human race towards catastrophic risks. The book highlights that action needs to be taken now, in what may be the worst decisive decade in human history. With a fundamental shift in mindset, humanity can succeed in a transition to global sustainability. The Human Quest can help turn the page to that new paradigm.
Over the past 50 years, our unsustainable ways of living have begun to put massive pressure on the planetary processes that support our well-being and economic development. The Human Quest tells how. Integrating the latest scientific insights with the power of images and real world experience, Johan Rockström and Mattias Klum combine evidence from the many scientific disciplines that study how planet Earth operates and the relations between ourselves and the Earth system. They not only diagnose the problems, but also look at the opportunities and evidence supporting that transitions to a sustainable future are possible.
The book illustrates the fragility and the beauty of our planet, while it lays out the challenges we now face as a human race, providing a framework for navigating these turbulent times. Unlike any other book of its kind, The Human Quest builds this framework from the unique perspective of nine planetary boundaries interactively combined, defined as: climate change, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone, biogeochemical, global freshwater use, land system change, biodiversity loss, chemical pollution, and aerosol loading.
Exceeding these nine planetary boundaries are propelling the human race towards catastrophic risks. The book highlights that action needs to be taken now, in what may be the worst decisive decade in human history. With a fundamental shift in mindset, humanity can succeed in a transition to global sustainability. The Human Quest can help turn the page to that new paradigm.
316 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Johan Rockström
23 books45 followersJohan Rockström is a Swedish professor who served as executive director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University. Rockström is internationally recognized on global sustainability issues. In 2009, he led the team which developed the Planetary Boundaries framework, a proposed precondition for facilitating human development at a time when the planet is undergoing rapid change.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 25, 2019
The must read about the science based limits we should respect in order to ensure a thriving future to humanity.
June 7, 2015
This book was a huge dissapointment because I love Mattias Klum and I've loved books on his quests. Bit this book was so repetitative, boring, and it felt like you had to be a professor of biology to understand it all. It was like Johan Rockström was showing off all the fancy words, chemical elements and biological terms he knew.
But I was determained to get through it: a year later I did.
The pictures are beautiful. It would have been worth it if it only contained the pictures, but now. No.
But I was determained to get through it: a year later I did.
The pictures are beautiful. It would have been worth it if it only contained the pictures, but now. No.
November 5, 2014
Beautiful pictures!
August 25, 2016
Great for a non-scientist!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews