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Oluwakemi Izomo

Oluwakemi Izomo. The Challenge: Leaving the Holocene. Maintaining a Safe Operating Space for Humanity. Hans-Peter Plag August 28, 2014. http://www.mari.odu.edu. Global Temperature Changes. Global Sea Level Changes. <--Holocene-->. The Challenge: Leaving the Holocene.

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Oluwakemi Izomo

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  1. Oluwakemi Izomo

  2. The Challenge: Leaving the Holocene Maintaining a Safe Operating Space for Humanity Hans-Peter Plag August 28, 2014 http://www.mari.odu.edu

  3. Global Temperature Changes Global Sea Level Changes <--Holocene--> The Challenge: Leaving the Holocene <------------Holocene------------> The Holocene was a “safe operating space for humanity” The Baseline: During the Holocene, global temperature, climate, and sea level were exceptionally stable. The Holocene, the most recent geological epoch, started 11,700 years ago Marcott et al., 2013

  4. Carbon Dioxide Global Temperature in the Post-Holocene 21st Century: Post-Holocene Holocene <--------800,000 years-------> Our children will have to live on a planet unknown to humanity ...

  5. The “global boundaries” of the “safe operating space for humanity” (Rockström et al., 2009) We are leaving the Holocene: Climate Change (***) Ocean acidification (**) Stratospheric ozone depletion (*) Nitrogen (******) and Phosphorous cycles (**) Global freshwater (*) Change in land use (*) Biodiversity loss (*******) Atmospheric aerosols (?) Chemical pollution (?) Climate change is a symptom, not the cause, not the “sickness.” We are in the middle of an “extinction-class event”, a planetary accident.

  6. Metabolic Rate Mass Being out of scale Scaling law for metabolic rate: Y = Y0 * M(3/4) human: Y = 50 -100 Watt Extended metabolic rate: YE = Y + CE (CE: total energy consumption) Energy consumption per capita: Global Average: YE = 2,735 Watt M = 10 metric tons Worst case: YE = 22,000 Watt M = 170 metric tons Blue Whale

  7. Metabolic Rate Mass Being out of scale Scaling law for metabolic rate: Y = Y0 * M(3/4) human: Y = 50 -100 Watt Extended metabolic rate: YE = Y + CE (CE: total energy consumption) Energy consumption per capita: Global Average: YE = 2,735 Watt M = 10 metric tons Worst case: YE = 22,000 Watt M = 170 metric tons Humanity has an extended metabolic rate equivalent to 14 Billion elephants (2.7 Billion for the U.S. alone) 14 Billion elephants: a heavy “load’ for Earth

  8. The Global Boundaries of the “safe operating space for humanity” (Rockström et al., 2009) It is embarassing how wasteful and inefficient we are ... We are pushing Earth out off the Holocene, our safe operating space ...

  9. Economy is the link between humanity and Earth’s life-support system “Sustainable Development is a development that meets the needs of the presence while safeguarding Earth’s life support systems, on which the welfare of current and future generations depends.” (Griggs et al., 2013) Economy against humanity: An economy that meets our needs by burning fossil fuels and destroying Earth’s life-support system is like a doctor who practices medicine by killing the patients. Maintaining a Safe Operating Space Economy for humanity: “An economy that meets our needs while safeguarding Earth’s life-support system, on which the welfare of current and future generations depends.” “What is good for Earth’s life support system is good for humanity”

  10. Contribution: Understanding that most risks are human-made, self-inflicted Post-2015: Ecosystem-based risk reduction should start with the wasteful, inefficient human ecosystem

  11. Oluwakemi Izomo

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