Seven of nine planetary boundaries breached at record levels, scientists report

The short version

• A coalition of 60 scientists led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research found that seven of Earth's nine planetary boundaries are being breached at record levels.[The Guardian · Scientific American]
• The breached boundaries include climate change, freshwater use, biosphere integrity, and ocean acidification, with pressures worsening across all affected areas.[The Guardian · Scientific American]
• Only stratospheric ozone depletion and atmospheric aerosol loading showed recovery over the past decade, though regional aerosol pollution persists.[The Guardian · Scientific American]
• Researchers warned that risks of irreversible environmental disruption are rising, though they noted humanity still possesses the capacity to reverse course.[The Guardian · Scientific American]

Key facts

• Seven of the nine planetary boundaries conceived in 2009 are currently breached at their highest recorded levels of transgression.[The Guardian · Scientific American]
• The seven transgressed limits are climate change, biosphere integrity, land system change, freshwater change, biogeochemical flows, novel entities, and ocean acidification.[The Guardian · Scientific American]
• Stratospheric ozone depletion and atmospheric aerosol loading are the only two indicators showing improvement over the last ten years.[The Guardian · Scientific American]
• The evaluation was produced by 60 scientists working under the auspices of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.[The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• ‘Planetary boundaries’ necessary for flourishing of life have been massively breached, scientists warnThe Guardian - Science
• 9 ‘boundaries’ keep Earth livable. We’ve breached 7 of themScientific American metered