Extending the Planetary Boundaries Framework to Texas

Addressing climate change requires viewing Earth's climate system, ideologically or scientifically, as integrated and interdependent with other biophysical spheres of the planet. The Planetary Boundaries Framework provides such a viewpoint and, thus, is helpful in discussing humanity's effects of planetary subsystems relative to Earth's safe operating space, including solutions to address climate change. Here, the Planetary Boundaries Framework is presented and briefly discussed, first because it provides a valuable communication tool to expand the myopic view of climate change, and second, it introduces the subsequent chapters in this section that cover some of the impacts to natural systems in Texas. Using a downscaling methodology, the Planetary Boundaries Framework is extended to quantify environmental boundaries in Texas and ascertain how much those boundaries have been transgressed by human pressures. Of the six planetary boundaries assessed, five have been transgressed in Texas suggesting significant anthropogenic alterations to land, water, biogeochemistry, biodiversity, and climate, all of which are placing cumulative risk on biophysical integrity and resilience. Ensuring social objectives are met while addressing sustainable boundaries will be challenging as population growth is expected to continue in Texas.