Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
how to improve ecological governance of human activities lies with the
lack of signals, or at least signals that humans can recognise, that
ecosystems are losing resilience or that resilience has been eroded to
such a degree that further disturbance may cause a regime change.
Rockström and his colleagues describe the non-linearity and dyna-
mism of ecosystems and the Earth System processes with which they
interact as having lulled humanity into a false sense of security, but
one which can be withdrawn unexpectedly as the crossing of thresh-
olds trigger changes in state.
97
A by-product of this ignorance of
hazard is that socioeconomic systems have unwittingly become ever
more vulnerable as the pressures they place on the functioning of
ecosystems increase. In the meantime, natural systems, whose resil-
ience is being eroded by unrelenting human disturbance, have become
increasing fragile.
98
Awareness of their vulnerability to environmental change places the
emphasis
rmly on remaking human societies to try and reduce their
exposure.
99
This can best be achieved, as the analysis in this section
reveals, by reducing the pressures that we place on the functioning of
ecosystems with a view to supporting their ability to withstand the
disturbances with which they may be confronted. One dif
culty with
governing actions on this basis, alongside the small matter of altering the
course of societies that have invested so much capital in particular ways
of living,
100
is that there is no answer to the question
'
by how far must
wereducestressestobesafe?
The ultimate conclusion of this enquiry
into whether resilience can be used as a focal point for governance is
that human societies cannot make themselves invulnerable. What they
cando,however,istotryandlessenrisksofharmbyadheringtoanew
code of living that re
'
ects the importance of ecological resilience for
humanity
s well-being whilst acknowledging our limited understanding
of this and of how our activities affect it.
'
2.4 A legal framework for ecological protection
The account in this chapter of the current understanding of ecosystems
highlights four aspects that are key to the design of a legal system for
97
Rockström et al.,
'
Planetary Boundaries
'
,under
'
Discussion
'
.
98
Holling,
'
The Resilience of Terrestrial Ecosystems
'
,pp.310
-
3.
99
S. E. van der Leeuw,
'
Climate and Society: Lessons from the Past 10000 Years
'
(2008) 37
Ambio, 481.
100
Ibid
.
