There were a number of papers I came across during my degree that have stuck in my head ever since, either because they were fascinating, or  because they were a nightmare that dragged on until the submission deadline.

One of the good papers, that really intrigued me was Johan Rockström’s, ‘Planetary Boundaries: Exploring the Safe Operating Space for Humanity’.

It is useful, forward-thinking, and provides genuine scope for humankind to tackle it’s biggest obstacles for a continued, and perhaps flourishing, existence on planet earth. The nine planetary boundaries that Johan and his team of 25 scientists identified define the safe operating space for humanity.

Although the paper is well worth a read, Johan Rockström is a fantastic public speaker, recently appearing on TED, where he explained his planetary boundaries concept.