A warning system for the planet
November 20, 2012
(Credit: NASA)
There is no centralized system to monitor and report changes in the Earth’s life-support systems. So scientists in 77 nations have established the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and the Group on Earth Observation Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), which integrates existing data streams into one platform to provide a global warning system for Earth’s biological and social systems.
GEO BON is structured around eight working groups focused on genetics, terrestrial species monitoring, terrestrial ecosystem change, freshwater ecosystem change, marine ecosystem change, ecosystem services, in situ and remote-sensing integration, and data integration and interoperability.
“The connections between nature and society are most complex and little is known about the tipping points of our socioecological systems,” says Kirsten Thonicke and some of her colleagues from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).
Comments (4)
by GAUSS
There is a centralized monitoring and warning system: hurricanes, viruses, droughts, etc. It’s plain to see how “agitated” the planet is by what’s going on.
Hawking was right: we need to leave.
by Matt
By the time “They” build a big enough stethoscope to monitor the health of our planet we will already be in the “Great Dying”. So eat drink and be merry :-)
It’s happened in the past and quest what, their were no humans to blame………go figure!
by GatorALLin
Message from Skynet…. Our computers report that your CO2 and other emissions have changed dramatically and the earth can no longer support this rate of infection (human population)…. but thanks for inventing us and thanks for playing…. we will take all evolutionary steps from here, thanks! -Hal.
by Marcos Marin
“There is no centralized system to monitor and report changes in the Earth’s life-support systems.”
–You mean like the old earthchangesmedia dot com previously earthchangestv dot com? They even warn of solar storms…