This paper provides a context for the Dahlem Workshop on “Earth System Analysis for Sustainability.” The authors begin by characterizing the contemporary epoch of Earth history in which humanity has emerged as a major - and uniquely self-reflexive - geological force. They turn next to the...

Learning – i.e. the acquisition of new information that leads to changes in our assessment of uncertainty – plays a prominent role in the international climate policy debate. For example, the view that we should postpone actions until we know more continues to be influential. The latest work...

Learning-i.e. the acquisition of new information that leads to changes in our assessment of uncertainty-plays a prominent role in the international climate policy debate. For example, the view that we should postpone actions until we know more continues to be influential. The latest work on...

This paper provides a context for the Dahlem Workshop on "Earth System Analysis for Sustainability." The authors begin by characterizing the contemporary epoch of Earth history in which humanity has emerged as a major - and uniquely self-reflexive - geological force. They turn next to the...

This paper provides a context for the Dahlem Workshop on “Earth System Analysis for Sustainability.” The authors begin by characterizing the contemporary epoch of Earth history in which humanity has emerged as a major—and uniquely self-reflexive—geological force. They turn next to the...

Atmospheric ozone plays a critical role in controlling ultraviolet radiation levels at the surface of the Earth. The absorption of ultraviolet radiation from the sun and the warm infrared from the earth influence temperatures in the lower stratosphere. The concentration of ozone is affected by...