The Human Quest (PDF)

The Human Quest serves as an inspiration and guide for action as humankind faces a turning point in our history and the state of the Earth. For the first time arises science and art in a way that has never been done before, this unique book shows the nine perspectives of planetary boundaries with fantastic color photos and illustrations. The e-book includes exclusive video clips by Mattias Klum and a foreword by former President of the United States Bill Clinton. Over the past 50 years, our unsustainable ways of living have begun to put immense pressure on the planetary processes that support our well-being and economic development. The Human Quest tells how, but is also a source of hope and innovation. Integrating the latest scientific insights with the power of images and real world experience, Johan Rockstro¨m and Mattias Klum merge evidence from the many scientific disciplines that study how planet Earth operates and the relations between ourselves and the Earth system, with illustrations of real, on-­the-­ground stories – dispatches from a planet that is subject to rapid, human-­induced changes with potentially devastating effects. The Human Quest illustrates the fragility and the beauty of our planet, while it lays out the challenges we now face as a human race, providing a framework for navigating these turbulent times. Unlike any other book of its kind, The Human Quest builds this framework from the unique perspective of nine planetary boundaries interactively combined, defined as: climate change, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone, biogeochemical, global freshwater use, land system change, biodiversity loss, chemical pollution, and aerosol loading. We can and must bend these nine curves of global environmental change that are propelling us towards catastrophic risks. And we need to do it now, in what may be the most decisive decade in human history. Nothing less than the world as we know it is at stake. With a fundamental shift in mindset, humanity can succeed in a transition to global sustainability. The Human Quest can help us turn the page to that new paradigm.