A Physical Framework for the Earth System in the Anthropocene: Towards an Accountancy System

TL;DR

This paper proposes a physics-based framework to understand Earth System transitions in the Anthropocene and develop an accounting system to limit human impact on ecosystems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel physical approach to Earth System analysis and proposes a new accountancy system for managing human influence.

Findings

A conceptual framework linking physics and Earth System transitions

A proposed accountancy system for ecological boundaries

Insights into the Earth's resilience and thresholds

Abstract

At a time when humanity has achieved global dominance at a scale that was previously thought impossible, it might also face an existential threat due to the consequences of that overwhelming influence on our common home, the Earth System (ES). In this work we explore how Physics may help us to understand the transitions that the ES is going through and lead us to a physically motivated accounting system that allows for setting boundaries to our negative influence on the ecosystems.