“If we consider ourselves and our societies as integral parts of the Earth system, and we take seriously the new properties that humans bring to the Earth system, then this requires a new kind of Earth system science. It has to integrate elements of the social sciences at least insofar as they help us to understand the role of human agency in planetary functioning. This could change the nature of Earth system models and the ways in which we use them. Instead of making predictions based on some set of assumptions about future human activities—as if we lived outside of the system—human activities and agency could become a more integral part of the models. Equally, Earth system considerations call for some rethinking of economics and a wider social discussion about what kind of future we want, which will engage the arts and the humanities as well as the social sciences.”