I recently had the privilege of interviewing one of the world’s leading climate researchers, Professor Johan Rockström, particularly around his work to model and communicate the issue of planetary boundaries.

Having identified nine critical natural processes essential for stable human life, he and a group of 27 other leading researchers and institutions have modelled these to understand how well each is doing. Acknowledging that human activity is impacting these processes - from air pollution to forest loss, to fresh water scarcity to the ozone hole - they studied how each was currently performing and also modelled them to understand how robust they were or whether we had already pushed them beyond safe limits. The news isn’t great – of the nine, seven have already exceeded safe limits and three of these are in danger of becoming irreversibly damaged.

Since these nine functions are by definition, critical to human survival, it doesn’t seem enough to simply report on their gradual degradation and hope people will take action. Professor Rockström has presented his findings to the highest levels of Government the world over, and they are well understood and accepted.  And yet seven out of nine are getting worse and are already in the ‘unsafe’ zone.

The problem is not in understanding, the issue is in getting something to change. To be fair, when it comes to the ozone layer, we successfully did. The 1987 Montreal Protocol to limit CFC’s and HCFC’s, used mostly in refrigeration, was signed and enacted in a relatively short space of time and the ozone hole is beginning to repair.  It remains one of only two functions that currently lie within the ‘safe’ boundaries. Rockström believes it was only possible because everything necessary came together at the right time - the right scientific understanding, with the right public concern, with the right political will and the technological ability to find alternatives.

But how do we encourage action on the other seven - and in time to stay within safe limits? As Professor Rockström told me: “…the direction of travel is understood - the only question is if we get there quickly enough.”  Perhaps the answer (in part at least) lies in the law. Much of the damage through destruction or pollution of our air, water, soil and land is done with impunity.  Despite our reliance on these things being healthy for our very survival, there is little or no consequence for damaging or destroying them. A strong law though would send a strong signal. There is a discussion in the Scottish Parliament (and many other parliaments around the world) about the need for an over arching crime of Ecocide to protect these natural processes.  By linking them directly to the planetary boundaries, it might add to the pressure for change. And if someone or some organisation does significantly undermine one of the planetary boundaries, they are effectively helping unpick safe living conditions for everyone on the planet.  That sounds like something worth protecting.  

Read more about Ecocide Law, or keep up to date with the current Ecocide Bill.