Welcome to this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief… this week, a new report argues that the Earth and its ability to sustain basic standards of living for everyone is at risk. In our analysis, we’ll be looking at 1) why the report says there is an urgent need for economic and technological transformation in our world today, 2) how and why cities and businesses play a key role in leading the transformation toward sustainability, and 3) the key factors that are considered critical to ensure a safe and just space for all by the middle of the century.
Quote of the Week
“The health of the planet and its people are at risk.”
– Authors of “A just world on a safe planet”
Latest News: In recent articles at The Debrief, China’s Chang’e-5 rover has found evidence that something unexpected happened on the Moon long ago. Elsewhere, new research says out-of-body experiences can lead to profound psychological transformations. As always, you’ll find links to all our recent stories at the end of this week’s newsletter.
Podcasts: In podcasts this week, on The Micah Hanks Program, we go in search of a fabled spy plane alleged to be the “son of Blackbird,” the legendary SR-71. Elsewhere, on The Debrief Weekly Report, Kenna and Stephanie become totally clear on a new method that can turn living skin transparent, and how electricity and how a new type of “biohybrid” robot is changing our understanding of robotics. You can catch up on past episodes over on The Debrief’s Podcasts Page.
Video News: On the latest episode of Rebelliously Curious, Chrissy Newton is joined by Terrence Taylor, the visionary Founder of the African Institute of Future Technologies (AIFT), who brings a unique perspective on how advanced technologies like AI and robotics can bridge the digital divide. Be sure to check out other great content from The Debrief on our official YouTube Channel.
Now, it’s time to look at what the authors of a recent report on the health and safety of our planet have warned us about, and what needs to be done in the years ahead to mitigate potential risks humans may face before 2050.
2050: A Forecast for the Future
Another contentious U.S. election looms, and Americans will soon be casting their votes amid untold numbers around the world who cope with a poverty, unemployment, lack of access to healthcare, limited access to clean water, issues related to migration, education disparities, and more.
Beyond just essential human needs, increasing tensions with countries like China, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the rapid development and unforeseen future of our interactions with artificial intelligence, and threats posed by future viruses that may be on par with COVID-19 all present anxiety-inducing possibilities for people throughout the world.
Add to this list of problems the amount of conflict, corruption, and other concerns that prevail today, all of which remind us that the world is perhaps at least as chaotic as it has ever been, if not more so. But now, researchers are warning that we may all be at risk, according to a recent analysis of issues that could spell trouble for humanity before 2050.
Environmental Pressures on Our Planet
According to new findings, our planet’s ability to offer a basic standard of living for all people is potentially at risk, which could spell trouble for virtually everyone over the next several decades.
That is, unless efforts to manage economic systems, technologies, and resource management practices are radically transformed. This arrives based on recent research by an international team of scientists, whose findings emphasize the need for cities and businesses to play a crucial role in mitigating the range of environmental pressures on the planet.
The team’s report, which was published in The Lancet Planetary Health, is part of phase one of the Earth Commission, a global initiative involving over 60 scientists. The report outlines the urgent need for economic and technological transformation, and focuses on Earth’s critical systems that include the climate, nutrient cycles, access to fresh water, and others that the team says are under significant pressure.
Unless coordinated action is taken, they say, planet Earth could surpass its capacity to sustain life and ensure quality of life for all people, with similar effects extending to other species and ecosystems.
Key Findings of the Report
Among the primary focuses of the new report is the role of cities and businesses as stewards of Earth’s critical systems, emphasizing the need for local action to help curb the environmental impacts of humanity’s global footprint.
“We focus on cities and businesses because of the magnitude of their impacts on the Earth system, and their potential to take swift action and act as agents of change,” the researchers write in their study. Distinguished Professor Xuemei Bai from The Australian National University, one of the lead authors, recently noted that cities and companies became a focus for he and his team because they can implement science-based targets to significantly lower their ecological footprint, but often do so more swiftly than governments.
Another focus of the report is that Earth’s resources are currently being stretched beyond sustainable limits. Professor Stuart Bunn of Griffith University, also one of the study’s contributors, points to freshwater and nutrient cycles that are already under severe strain, which he says bears the potential to destabilize ecosystems worldwide. Unless action is taken to address inequalities in access to resources in the critical areas of water, food, and energy, societies could be severely impacted in the years ahead.
The Path to 2050
Within the next 25 years, systems across the globe may begin approaching dangerous thresholds unless action is taken. The researchers involved with the new study argue that the ability to offer even basic standards of living could become nearly impossible, pushing Earth beyond any acceptable climate boundaries in the absence of proper management of energy, food, and urban systems.
Right now, as Americans prepare for the next election, their focus remains primarily on how the next presidential administration will affect them and their communities in their day to day lives. However, in the connected world of the 21st century, the research presented in the recent Lancet Planetary Health study seems to suggest that the adage “think globally, act locally” has never been more true.
Only through fundamental changes like coordinated efforts by governments, but also through cities, businesses, and organizations on every level of society, can humanity ensure a “safe and just” space for all by the time 2050 arrives.
“These transformations aim to minimise harm and ensure access to essential resources, while addressing the drivers of Earth-system change and vulnerability and the institutional and social barriers to systemic transformations, and include reducing and reallocating consumption, changing economic systems, technology, and governance,” the researchers write. The team’s study has been made available online and can be read in its entirety here.
That concludes this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief. You can read past editions of The Intelligence Brief at our website, or if you found this installment online, don’t forget to subscribe and get future email editions from us here. Also, if you have a tip or other information you’d like to send along directly to me, you can email me at micah [@] thedebrief [dot] org, or Tweet at me @MicahHanks.
Here are the top stories we’re covering right now…
- James Webb Space Telescope’s Latest Breakthrough is Upending Our Understanding of Cosmic Reionization
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- Citizen Scientist Discovers Evidence of Possible Crater Left by Ancient Meteorite Impact
A Canadian outdoor enthusiast may have discovered evidence of a previously undiscovered ancient meteorite impact site.
- Robotic Deception: Researcher Investigates How Humans Handle Being Lied to by AI
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- We Can See Right Through You This week on The Debrief Weekly Report…
On this week’s episode, Kenna and Stephanie become totally clear on a new method that can turn living skin transparent. They then discuss some shocking new research on whether gold can make electricity and how a new type of “biohybrid” robot is changing our understanding of robotics.
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New evidence collected by China’s Chang’e-5 rover has found evidence that something unexpected happened on the Moon 120 million years ago.
- “Out-of-Body Experiences” Can Lead to Profound and Lasting Psychological Transformations, New Research Reports
New research says “out-of-body experiences” can lead to profound psychological transformations, including increased empathy.
- New Research Shows Dungeons & Dragons Can Help People with Autism “Conquer” Social Situations and Find Their “Inner Hero”
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- NASA’s BurstCube Satellite Detects Gamma-Ray Burst, Marks a Milestone in Space Observation
NASA’s BurstCube satellite has successfully detected a gamma-ray burst in outer space, achieving a major milestone in its mission.
- No Laughing Matter: Medical Clowns Help Hospitalized Kids Recover Faster from Illness
A recent study found that medical clowns can significantly reduce the length of hospital stays for children with pneumonia.
- Earth-like Planet Discovery Near Distant White Dwarf Offers Clues to Earth’s Future
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The formation of large gold nuggets could be driven by a unique electrical phenomenon that occurs during earthquakes, new research suggests.
- NASA’s New Radar-Equipped Gulfstream Aircraft is Set to Enhance Earth Science Capabilities
NASA’s heavily modified Gulfstream IV twin jet will greatly enhance the agency’s data collection capabilities for Earth science missions.
- China’s Classified Space Plane, Shenlong, Returns from Secretive 267-Day Mission in Space
China’s mysterious experimental spacecraft, Shenlong, has returned from space after completing its third orbital test, where it spent 268 days in space testing the country’s reusable space technology.
- Researchers Discover Mysterious Exoplanet That Displays “Very Unusual” Unpredictable Movement
Researchers have identified a mysterious exoplanet exhibiting an unusual orbit that defies conventional astrophysical theories.
- Biomedical Breakthrough: Researchers Uncover a Surprisingly Simple Way to Turn Living Skin Transparent
Breakthrough research discovers surprisingly simple method for rendering living skin transparent, potentially revolutionizing bio-imaging.
- Life in the Abyss: Arctic Scientists Detect Photosynthesis in Near Complete Darkness
Research in the Arctic Sea has found that deep-sea ice algae and phytoplankton can perform photosynthesis using only a few photons of light
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A first of its kind contest called the Auditory Magic Challenge is asking the magic community to create immersive illusions for the blind.
- U.S. Authorities Reveal Alleged Covert Funding of Propaganda Linked to Russia
This week, U.S. authorities reveal new evidence of actions by Russian state-sponsored media to fund propaganda efforts targeting U.S. voters.
- “Biohybrid” Robot Breakthrough Unveils First Robotic System Controlled by an Odd and Unlikely Organism
In a groundbreaking new development in robotics, researchers at Cornell have integrated robots with an unlikely organism to create “biohybrid” machines capable of sensing and responding to their environment.
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A massive asteroid knocked Jupiter’s moon Ganymede off its axis about four billion years ago, according to new research.
- Scientists Demonstrate Key Technologies Behind Holy Grail of Timekeeping: The World’s First Nuclear Clock
A team of scientists have successfully demonstrated all of the technologies required to build the world’s first nuclear clock.
- The Dangers of Technological Monopolization
Terrence Taylor, the visionary Founder of the African Institute of Future Technologies (AIFT), brings a unique perspective on how advanced technologies like AI and robotics can bridge the digital divide.
- Arrival of the Saucers
Joining us this week is Greg Eghigian, a Professor of History and Bioethics at Pennsylvania State University who discusses his new book “After the Flying Saucers Came.”
- Will China Hydrate the Moon? This week on The Debrief Weekly Report…
Kenna and Stephanie dip their toes into a story about Chinese scientists who say they have found a way to produce water on the Moon.