A dire new report reveals Earth has breached another planetary boundary, with ocean acidification now joining climate destabilization and biodiversity loss.
Nine Planetary Boundaries Monitored
Scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) track nine “planetary boundaries” or “safety barriers” critical to Earth’s ecosystems. These include the atmosphere, oceans, freshwater resources, and biodiversity—all vital to sustaining life and civilization. Each boundary marks the threshold of human interference that jeopardizes the planet’s stability.
Six Boundaries Already Crossed
Previously, six of the nine boundaries were deemed breached, including climate change and wildlife destruction. The latest findings show accelerating environmental degradation and rising risks of irreversible changes, including tipping points that could trigger cascading ecological collapse.
Ocean Acidification: A New Crisis
This year’s assessment confirms that ocean acidification has now surpassed its safety limit. Driven by human CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, excess carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, forming carbonic acid. Since the mid-19th century, ocean acidity has increased by 30–40%, threatening marine life, particularly corals and shellfish.
Acidification disrupts shell and reef formation, harms fish physiology, and compounds the effects of climate change, such as warming oceans. The collapse of marine ecosystems would devastate coastal communities reliant on fishing and tourism, with global economic and ecological repercussions.
Two Boundaries Still Intact
Only two boundaries remain within safe limits: global air pollution (aerosols) and the health of the ozone layer. Notably, both have improved over recent decades due to international cooperation and policy interventions, such as the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting substances.
While local air pollution remains a deadly crisis—causing premature deaths worldwide, including in Poland—global emissions have declined. Even historically polluted nations like China have demonstrated significant reductions, proving that environmental recovery is possible with sustained effort.
