ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 introduces to many readers the age of the Anthropocene and the concepts of planetary boundaries and tipping points. The Anthropocene is a newly named epoch of geological time – whose date of birth is still a matter of debate – mirroring human-induced changes to our planet's systems. (The growingly strong role of human pressures we deal with in more detail in later chapters.) The concept of planetary boundaries analyzes the extent to which these may have already transgressed thresholds – beyond the so-called “safe operating space for humanity.” Related shifts in system properties may have disastrous consequences for Homo sapiens. Both concepts have necessitated rethinking of the human/environment relationship and promoted a systemic perception of the Earth’s complex system of systems and their interlinked nature.
