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Earth System Science
—
Past Experiences
and Future Trends
Vikram Unnithan, Astrid Bracher, Klaus Grosfeld,
Annette Ladst
enmayer, Gerrit Lohmann,
Helge Meggers, Justus Notholt and Dieter Wolf-Gladrow
ä
tter-Wei
ß
Abstract Earth System Science has developed over the last two decades from an
interesting concept in Earth sciences education to a fully integrative science focussed
on understanding the complex system Earth. This evolution is partially due to the
radical and far reaching anthropogenic changes and the general feeling of helplessness
with regards to the possible consequences and future impacts on the Earth System.
This paper proposes that a paradigm shift in undergraduate and graduate education is
needed to further develop Earth System Science. Graduate programs such as the Earth
System Science Research School (ESSReS), which are intrinsically trans- and
interdisciplinary will help to change rigid subject speci
c mind-set among faculty and
students. The health and sustainability of our planet is at stake.
1 Introduction
Astronomers have been looking for habitable planets for many decades (Fritz et al.
2014
). It could be argued that the primary motivation was not to
find other life
forms but to
find a suitable alternative for Earth. If some of the doom and gloom
scenarios (Elliott and Hanson
2003
) are to be believed, we would need this alter-
native soon, perhaps even within this century. What is clear and a fact is that the
future of Earth is in our hands and it is in our interest as a species to keep it going/
habitable.
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