There is no such thing as a Fourth Industrial Revolution with 9 billion thriving co-citizens in the world if it is accomplished on linear economic principles. We need a transition to circular economic principles and practice.
Johan RockstromRead
Emissions of greenhouse gases warm the planet, altering the carbon and water cycles. A warmer ocean stores more heat, providing more fuel for hurricanes. A warmer atmosphere holds more water, bringing dangerous deluges. Rising sea levels threaten coastal zones.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change and extreme weather events.
Johan Rockstrom emphasizes the interconnectedness of greenhouse gas emissions and their detrimental effects on the Earth's climate systems. He illustrates how a warmer planet leads to severe consequences such as intensified hurricanes, increased rainfall, and rising sea levels, which pose significant threats to coastal areas and ecosystems.
Themes
Greenhouse GasesClimate ChangeHurricanesSea LevelsEnvironment
In practice
Example use cases
During a climate change conference, I quoted this to underscore the urgency of addressing emissions.
More from Johan Rockstrom
All quotes →There is an old belief that solving environmental problems can only be achieved by first building enough economic wealth so we can 'afford to save the environment.' This 'Kuznets Curve' thinking has never been correct and must be abandoned once and for all if we are serious about economic development for a thriving humanity on Earth.
Johan RockstromRead
Either we leave our descendants an endowment of zero poverty, zero fossil-fuel use, and zero biodiversity loss, or we leave them facing a tax bill from Earth that could wipe them out.
Johan RockstromRead
Global sustainability is now the only avenue to future inclusive progress that can deliver the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris climate agreement.
Johan RockstromRead
Even the wealth of the U.S. cannot protect against the levels of environmental destruction that we are unleashing.
Johan RockstromRead
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