Our planet, our future

Nobel laureates and other experts published an Urgent Call to Action following the Our Planet, Our Future summit on April 29, 2021.

Preamble

The Nobel Prize was created to recognize progress toward "the greatest good for mankind." It encourages the success of those who help build a safe, prosperous world without war, based on scientific judgment.

“Science is the basis for all progress that alleviates the hardships of life and reduces suffering” (Marie Curie, Nobel Prize laureate 1903 and 1911).

Science is a global common good dedicated to the pursuit of truth, knowledge and innovation that improves lives. Currently, humanity is faced with new challenges on an unprecedented scale. The first summit of Nobel laureates takes place in the context of a global pandemic, crisis of inequality, environmental, climate and information crises. These supranational crises are interconnected and threaten the enormous gains we have made in human development. Of particular concern is that the regions predicted to experience many of the accumulated negative impacts of global change are home to many of the world's poorest communities and indigenous peoples. The summit takes place against the backdrop of unprecedented rates of urbanization and on the cusp of technological breakthroughs associated with digitalization, advances in artificial intelligence, ubiquitous data collection, biotechnology and nanotechnology, which have the potential to change every aspect of our lives in the coming decades.

“Never before have we been faced with this level of challenges facing a globally interconnected society. No one knows exactly what solution will work, so it’s important to create a system that can quickly evolve and adapt” (Elinor Ostrom, 2009 Nobel Prize laureate).

The summit was convened to discuss the transition to global sustainability for prosperity and equality. Of all natural resources, time is the most limited. The next decade is critical: global greenhouse gas emissions must be halved and the destruction of nature must be stopped and reversed. An important condition for such transformation is the elimination of destabilizing inequalities around the world. If transformational measures are not taken this decade, the future of humanity will be at great risk. Communities are threatened by large-scale irreversible changes to the Earth's biosphere and our lives as part of it.

“For the survival of mankind and for the transition to new levels, a new type of thinking is necessary” (Albert Einstein, Nobel Prize laureate 1921).

We need to rethink our relationship with planet Earth. Preserving life on our planet requires both individuals and societies to become effective stewards of the commons - the climate, ice, land, ocean, fresh water, forests, soils and rich diversity of life that govern our planet. and together create a unique and harmonious life support system. There is now an existential need to build economies and communities that support the harmony of the earth system rather than destroy it.

our planet

“ It seems appropriate to use the term Anthropocene to describe the current era ” (Paul Crutzen, 1995 Nobel Prize winner).

Geologists call the last 12,000 years the Holocene Epoch. A remarkable feature of this period was the relative stability of the earth system. But the time of stable existence of the Holocene is now behind us. Human communities are now the main driving force behind changes in the Earth's biosphere. The destinies of the biosphere and the human societies embedded within it are now deeply intertwined and evolving together. The Earth has entered a new geological era - the Anthropocene. There is reason to believe that it began in the 1950s—just one human lifetime ago. The Anthropocene era is likely to be characterized by speed, scale and disruption at the global level.

Health of the Planet

The health of nature, our planet and people are closely interconnected. The risk of a pandemic is one of many global health risks in the Anthropocene era. The risks of pandemics are higher now due to the destruction of natural habitats, tightly knit communities and misinformation.

-19 pandemic The COVID is the greatest global shock since World War II. It caused enormous suffering and hardship. The scientific response on the front lines of the ongoing disaster, from the discovery of the virus to the development of a vaccine, has been robust and effective. There is something to applaud. However, there were also obvious failures. The poorest and most marginalized sections of society remain the most vulnerable. The scale of this disaster could be significantly reduced through preventive measures, greater openness, through the development of early warning systems and faster response to emergency situations.

Reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases such as COVID -19 requires a multifaceted approach that includes the concept of “one health”—the close connection between human health, the health of other animals and the health of the environment. Rapid urbanization, agricultural intensification, overexploitation, and the destruction of large wildlife habitats are all contributing to the increase in the numbers of small mammals such as rodents. Additionally, these land use changes force animals to shift their activities from natural ecosystems to farmland, urban parks, and other human-dominated areas, greatly increasing human contact and the risk of disease transmission.

World heritage

Global warming and habitat destruction are nothing more than a vast and uncontrolled experiment on the Earth's life support system. Numerous facts show that for the first time in our existence, human actions are destabilizing critical parts of the Earth system that determine the state of the planet.

For 3 million years, the rise in average global temperature has not exceeded 2° C , but this level could be surpassed in just one century. This path has already taken us to 1.2° C of warming - the warmest temperature on Earth since we left the last ice age some 20,000 years ago - and it will take us to more than 3° C of warming within 80 years old.

At the same time we are losing the Earth's resilience, we have already transformed half of the land outside the ice sheets, mainly through the expansion of agriculture. Of the approximately 8 million species living on Earth, about 1 million are threatened. It is estimated that vertebrate populations have declined by 68% since the 1970s.

Inequality

“The only sustainable prosperity is shared prosperity” (Joseph Stiglitz, 2001 Nobel Prize winner).

While all sections of society contribute to economic growth, the rich in most societies take a disproportionate share of the growing wealth. This trend has become more pronounced in recent decades. In highly unequal societies, with large disparities in areas such as health and education, the poorest are more likely to remain trapped in poverty for generations.

More equal societies tend to score higher in well-being and happiness. Reducing inequality increases social capital. There is a greater sense of community and greater trust in government. These factors make it easier to make collective long-term decisions. The future of humanity depends on the ability to make long-term collective decisions in the Anthropocene era.

-19 pandemic The COVID , the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression, is expected to worsen inequality at a time when inequality is having a clear destabilizing political impact in many countries. Climate change is also expected to further exacerbate inequality. Already, the poorest people, often living in vulnerable communities, suffer the most from climate impacts and live in areas with unhealthy energy systems that, for example, pollute the air. And while urbanization has brought many social benefits, it has also exacerbated existing inequalities and created new ones.

The inescapable conclusion is that inequality and global sustainability issues are deeply intertwined. Reducing inequality will have a positive impact on people's involvement in collective decision-making.

Technologies

The accelerating technological revolution, including information technology, artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, will impact inequality, jobs and the wider economy with devastating consequences. In general, technological progress has so far only accelerated our path to destabilization of the planet. Without a thoughtful approach, technological evolution is unlikely to lead to transformations that promote sustainability. In the coming decades, it will be critical to strategize and direct the technological revolution to achieve social goals.

Recognizing the need for urgency and embracing complexity

Whether the Earth will remain suitable for human life in the future depends on the collective actions humanity takes now. There is growing evidence that 2020–2030 will be a decisive decade. The destructive impacts on nature must be stopped and deep inequalities must be confronted. In 2021-2030, it is necessary to halve global greenhouse gas emissions. This alone requires the collective management of the commons for the benefit of the future of humanity - all living and non-living systems on Earth that communities enjoy and which at the same time regulate the state of the planet.

Beyond the urgency, we must accept the complexity of the situation. As human and technological networks grow, humanity faces increasing risks due to networked interconnectedness and the domino effect. The 2020/2021 pandemic was a health shock, followed by economic shocks. We must accept that unexpected events are the new normal and learn to manage challenging and unexpected behavior.

Our future

Decade of Action

Now is the time to prevent irreversible changes. A tipping point for ice sheets is approaching—some parts of the Antarctic ice sheet may have already crossed the threshold of irreversibility. Heat circulation in the North Atlantic is clearly slowing due to accelerated ice melting. This could further affect the monsoons and the stability of major parts of Antarctica. Rainforests, permafrost and coral reefs are also approaching tipping points. The remaining CO2 emissions budget, designed to ensure that there is a 67% chance of global warming not exceeding 1.5° C , will be exhausted by 2030. At the same time, the urban population will increase by about 1.3 million people every week until 2050, requiring new buildings and roads, water and sewerage systems, as well as energy and transportation systems. Construction and operation of these infrastructures will be energy-intensive and require significant emissions unless major changes are made to their design and use.

In 2021, major summits will provide political and public momentum for action on climate, biodiversity, food systems, desertification and ocean science. In 2022, the Stockholm 50+ event will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Summit. This is an important opportunity to reflect on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations to be achieved by 2030. However, there is a disconnect between the urgent need to act (as evidenced by empirical evidence) and the sluggish response of elected politicians: the world is turning too slowly.

Planet Control

“ We must break down the walls that previously separated science and society and allowed mistrust and ignorance to spread unchecked. If anything prevents people from meeting the challenges of our day, it is obstacles like these ” (Jennifer Doudna , 2020 Nobel Prize winner).

To effectively manage the planet, we need to update our Holocene worldview. We must act quickly, at scale, with an awareness of the interdependence between us and our home, planet Earth. What will contribute most to planetary governance is strengthening social capital—building trust within and between communities.

Is a new worldview possible? 193 countries have declared recognition of the sustainable development goals. The global pandemic has created greater awareness of global interconnectedness, fragility and risk. And more and more people, if they have the economic opportunity to do so, are increasingly making decisions that are more consistent with the SDGs when choosing transport, consumption and energy use. They often pre-empt measures taken by governments. And increasingly, clean options like solar and wind power are found to be comparable in price to fossil fuel alternatives or even cheaper—and getting cheaper.

Today, at the level of global systems, the question is not whether humanity will abandon fossil fuels. The question is whether we can do it fast enough. Solutions from electric mobility to zero-carbon energy and sustainable food systems are today often promoted and adopted at an exponential rate. How to maintain this pace? The following seven suggestions provide a framework for effective planetary stewardship.

POLICY: Supplement GDP as a measure of economic success with measures of the true well-being of people and nature. Recognize that widening inequality between rich and poor fuels discontent and mistrust, undermining the social contract necessary for difficult, long-term collective decision-making. Recognize that deteriorating ecosystem resilience undermines humanity's future on Earth.

MISSION-FOCUSED INNOVATION: Rapid change requires economic dynamism. Governments have been at the forefront of funding transformational innovation over the last 100 years. The scale of today's challenges will require large-scale collaboration between researchers, government and business, with a focus on global sustainability.

EDUCATION: Education for all ages must emphasize evidence-based approaches, the scientific method, and scientific consensus to provide our descendants with the necessary foundation for political and economic change. Universities must urgently integrate planetary stewardship concepts into all curricula. In a changing, turbulent age, we must invest in lifelong learning and an evidence-based worldview.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. Special interest groups and partisan media can amplify misinformation and accelerate its spread through social media and other digital communications. Thus, these technologies can be used to undermine faith in common goals and public trust. Societies must urgently take action to counter the industrialization of disinformation and find ways to improve global communications systems for a sustainable future.

FINANCE AND BUSINESS: Investors and companies must recognize the principles of recycling and material recovery and apply science-based requirements for all global resources and essential ecosystem services. Economic, environmental and social impacts must be assessed honestly.

SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION: Greater investment is needed in international networks of scientific institutions to enable sustained collaboration in interdisciplinary research for global sustainability, as well as in transdisciplinary science that integrates diverse knowledge systems, including local, indigenous and traditional knowledge.

KNOWLEDGE: The pandemic has demonstrated the value of basic research to policymakers and the public. Understanding the importance of continued investment in basic research is essential. In addition, we must develop new business models for the free exchange of all scientific knowledge.

Conclusion

Global sustainability offers the only viable path to human security, justice, health and progress. Humanity has long awakened to the challenges and opportunities of actively managing the planet. But we are awakening. Making long-term, science-based decisions always loses in the fight against the needs of the present. Policymakers and scientists must work together to bridge the gap between expert evidence, short-term policy goals, and the survival of all life on this planet in the Anthropocene era. Humanity's long-term potential depends on our ability today to value our shared future. Ultimately, this means learning to appreciate the sustainability of society and the Earth's biosphere.

Translation by Lyuba Summ and Natalia Demina

Source: www.nationalacademies.org/news/2021/04/nobel-prize-laureates-and-other-experts-issue-urgent-call-for-action-after-our-planet-our-future-summit

Peter Agre , Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2003) for his discovery and research on aquaporin

Harvey Alter, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2020) for the discovery of the hepatitis C virus

Amano Hiroshi ( Hiroshi Amano ), winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics (2014) for the creation of light-emitting diodes

Frances Arnold winner of the , Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2018) for his work on directed evolution

Barry Barish waves , Nobel Prize winner in physics (2017) for experimental detection of gravitational

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi ( Fran ç oise Barr é- Sinoussi ), winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology (2008) for her participation in the discovery of the immunodeficiency virus

Georg Bednorz Nobel Prize winner in physics ( 1987 , ) for the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity

Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo , Nobel Prize laureate ( Peace 1996) for his efforts to bring about a just and peaceful resolution to the conflict in East Timor

Paul Berg winner of the , Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1980) for his fundamental research on nucleic acids

J. Michael Bishop of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine , winner (1989) for his discovery of the cellular nature of retroviral oncogenes

Elizabeth Blackburn ( Elizabeth H. telomerase Blackburn ), winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2009) for the discovery of the mechanisms of chromosome protection by telomeres and the enzyme

Linda Buck winner of the , Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2004) for her studies of olfactory receptors and the organization of the olfactory system

William Campbell winner of the , Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2015) for the discovery of new treatments for parasitic infections and malaria

Mario Capecchi winner of the , Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2007) for the creation and development of the gene knockout method

Thomas Cech winner of the , Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1989) for his discovery of the catalytic properties of ribonucleic acids

Martin Chalfie winner of the , Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2008) for the discovery and development of the use of green fluorescent protein

Steven Chu Nobel Prize winner in physics (1997) for his research into cooling and , trapping atoms using laser technology

Aaron Ciechanover winner of the , Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2004) for his discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation in proteasomes

-Maguire Mairead Corrigan winner of the , Nobel Peace Prize (1976) for creating the movement that ended the bloody conflict in Northern Ireland

Robert , Nobel Curl Jr. Prize in Chemistry (1996) for the discovery of fullerenes

Dalai Lama XIV, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1989)

Johann Deisenhofer winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry ( 1988 , ) for establishing the three-dimensional structure of the photosynthetic reaction center

Peter (1996) for his C. , winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Doherty discoveries related to cellular immunity

Jennifer Doudna Nobel Prize winner in , chemistry for developing a genome editing method (2020)

Jacques Dubochet resolution , Nobel Prize winner in chemistry (2017) for the development of cryo-electron microscopy for determining the structure of biomolecules in solutions with high

Shirin Ebadi children , Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2003) for her contribution to the development of democracy and the fight for human rights, especially women and

ElBaradei Mohamed , Nobel Peace Prize winner (2005) for his efforts to ensure that nuclear energy is used only for peaceful purposes

Gerhard Ertl winner of , the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2007) for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces

Andrew Fire Nobel Prize laureate in physiology or medicine ( 2006 , ) discovery of RNA interference - the effect of dampening the activity of certain genes

Frank Joachim ) , Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry (2017

Friedman Jerome , winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics (1990) for seminal research confirming the existence of quarks

Leymah Gbowee Nobel Peace Prize , laureate (2011) for her nonviolent struggle for women's safety and women's rights to full participation in peacebuilding

Gilbert Walter , winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1980) for his DNA sequencing method

And another 100 signatures.