. | . |
UC San Diego physicist helps launch national network examining Earth's planetary limits by Staff Writers San Diego CA (SPX) Oct 26, 2021
University of California San Diego Physics Professor Tom Murphy is among five authors of an essay, appearing in the November 2021 issue of the journal Energy Research and Social Science, that cautions current levels of worldwide economic growth, energy use and resource consumption will overshoot Earth's finite limits. The essay, "Modernity is Incompatible with Planetary Limits: Developing a PLAN for the Future," also announces the establishment of a network of scholars and researchers to promote the understanding of planetary limits, envision scenarios for humanity to thrive within planetary limits, better educate college students about these challenges and advise government officials and communities in developing effective responses. "We all are a product of our times, where 'new,' 'shiny,' 'better' seem normal and 'more, more, more' seems good, but that is a reflection of the abnormal period of the last century or so," said Murphy. "If humanity keeps growing its impact on the planet, we will overshoot planetary limits, so we need to plan to power down while there's still time. Even the founders of economics recognized that Earth's resources are finite and growth is but a transient phase." An astrophysicist who has applied the principles of physics to studying Earth's limitations, Murphy recently published a rigorous examination of these issues in "Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet" (Murphy discusses the book in this question-and-answer article and this video). In their new essay, the authors wrote, "early flying machines invariably crashed despite an exhilarating brief airborne interval mainly because the contraptions were simply not built according to aerodynamic principles of sustainable flight. Likewise, the present economy is not built on principles for sustainable, steady-state operation." Essay senior author Ben McCall and the authors acknowledge "the thought that growth should come to an end is counter to our culture." But keeping at this pace, society is not going to get the future it's been promised, according to McCall. "We shouldn't expect a 'Jetsons' future with flying cars, but with intentional planning we can hope to do better than a 'Flintstones' future," he said. The authors also stress they are preaching prudence, rather than trying to sound alarmist. "We hope this essay gets people to step back from the familiar, up-close view of their place in the world to see a broader perspective on the challenges modern society faces going forward," said David Murphy, associate professor and department chair of environmental studies at St. Lawrence University. "We are not making predictions of 'when.' Our point is there are fundamental limits to our resources on this finite planet, and if we continue using them at this pace, we'll exhaust our resources and that outcome won't be good. We need to find ways to power our world without destroying it." Melody LeHew, a professor of interior design and fashion studies at Kansas State University, said more than just engineers, economists and biologists need to study these and related fields, but others need to get out of their silos to contribute to solutions. "As someone who studies fashion, I have seen how our current systems can lead to tremendous waste of resources, but also how dedicated scholars working together can make even the fashion industry more sustainable," she said. Anyone can join the network as a subscriber to receive updates about network activities. Active scholars can join as members to participate in forums or collaborators to receive full access to the network. Visit the PLAN Academic website for more information. "Our hope is that we might spark debate and deep thinking about how human civilization might thrive for millennia to come, rather than simply survive the bottlenecks of the next few decades," said Tom Love, professor emeritus of anthropology at Linfield University. "We want scholars to ask what role their current research plays in addressing these issues and contribute to the understanding how human activity might fit within planetary limits."
Research Report: "Modernity is incompatible with planetary limits: Developing a PLAN for the future"
Researchers find standing waves at edge of earth's magnetic bubble Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 26, 2021 Earth sails the solar system in a ship of its own making: the magnetosphere, the magnetic field that envelops and protects our planet. The celestial sea we find ourselves in is filled with charged particles flowing from the Sun, known as the solar wind. Just as ocean waves follow the wind, scientists expected that waves traveling along the magnetosphere should ripple in the direction of the solar wind. But a new study reveals some waves do just the opposite. Studying these magnetospheric waves, wh ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |