Planetary Boundaries Series 2020

Includes All 3 webinars!

1. Introductory Workshop (in 3 parts, all included)
2. Masterclass with Professor Will Steffen
3. Masterclass with Gethin Morgan.

See the “Webinar Information” popups on each of the videos for more information about each webinar.

Planetary Boundaries – Introductory 1-Day Workshop

Facing the ecological crisis and living within our limits

In AELA’s new annual series, we’ll learn from world leading scientists, economists, lawyers and regenerative communities, about how Planetary Boundaries can help us understand the ecological limits of our world, and how to take action toward a more sustainable pathway for human societies.

From Doughnut Economics to downscaling action at the bioregional level, join us for an insightful journey into the meaning and practical application of 21st century Earth System Science and Planetary Boundaries.

Speakers

• Emeritus Professor Ian Lowe, Griffith University: “Australia’s ecological limits”
• Professor Will Steffen, ANU and the Climate Council: “Introduction to Earth System science and Planetary Boundaries”
• Holger Hoffman – Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany: “Downscaling Planetary Boundaries for nations, organisations and communities”
• Katherine Trebeck, Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll), Scotland: “Planetary Boundaries & Doughnut Economics”
• Gethin Morgan: “Bioregions as the building blocks for living within our limits”
• Ross Williams, Future Dreaming and Bindal/Juru First Nations peoples: “Indigenous Landscape Knowledge and Ecological Limits”
• Dr Michelle Maloney, Australian Earth Laws Alliance: “Bioregional governance and downscaling Planetary Boundaries – Greenprints”

Program

Video 1

• Dr Michelle Maloney – Australian Earth Laws Alliance
  • “Bioregional governance and downscaling Planetary Boundaries – Greenprints”
    • Introduction, purpose of the day;
    • Acknowledgement of country;
    • Introduction to AELA’s work on ecological limits: Greenprints
• Emeritus Professor Ian Lowe – Griffith University
  • “Australia’s ‘overshoot’ and the challenges of living within our limits”
• Professor Will Steffen – ANU and Climate Council
  • “Planetary Boundaries and Earth System Science”

Video 2

• Katherine Trebeck – Wellbeing Economy, Scotland
  • “Planetary Boundaries and Doughnut Economics”
• Ross Williams – Future Dreaming and Bindal/Juru First Nations peoples
  • “Indigenous Landscape Knowledge and Ecological Limits”
• Gethin Morgan
  • “Bioregions as the building blocks for understanding Australia’s ecosystems and living within our limits”

Video 3

• Holger Hoff – Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany
  • “Downscaling Planetary Boundaries for nations, organisations and communities”
• Dr Michelle Maloney – Australian Earth Laws Alliance
  • “Bioregional governance and downscaling Planetary Boundaries in Australia – the Greenprints initiative”

Planetary Boundaries – Masterclass with Will Steffen

Join us for a fascinating masterclass that will provide a detailed introduction to the ground breaking concept of “Planetary Boundaries”.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER

Professor Will Steffen, ANU and the Climate Council, is co-author of the groundbreaking research released in the 2009 titled: “A safe operating space for humanity“.

Professor Steffen has a long history in international global change research, serving from 1998 to 2004 as Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), based in Stockholm, Sweden, and before that as Executive Officer of IGBP’s Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems project.

Will’s interests span a broad range within the fields of sustainability and Earth System science, with an emphasis on the science of climate change, approaches to climate change adaptation in land systems, incorporation of human processes in Earth System modelling and analysis; and the history and future of the relationship between humans and the rest of nature.

ABOUT OUR MASTERCLASS

In our masterclass, Will Steffen will:

• provide an overview of the field of Earth System Science and how the Planetary Boundaries concept was developed;
• explain the science of the nine Planetary Boundaries and why these boundaries are so critical for life on earth;
• discuss the complexity of the interaction and interconnection of the boundaries;
• discuss some of the ways in which scientists, lawyers and economists have connected with the Planetary Boundaries concept and are ‘downscaling’ these global parameters, so that national, regional and local action can be informed by and connected to, these global ecological limits.

The masterclass will be facilitated by AELA’s National Convenor, Dr Michelle Maloney.

PLANETARY BOUNDARIES AND ECOLOGICAL LIMITS

This masterclass is part of a series of important events designed to increase knowledge about Australia’s unique environment, and connect that knowledge to understanding our ecological limits and the concept of “Planetary Boundaries”.

In AELA’s new annual series, we will learn from world leading scientists, economists, lawyers and regenerative communities, about how Planetary Boundaries can help us understand the ecological limits of our world and take action toward a more sustainable pathway for human societies.

BIOREGIONS – THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

If we are to transform human societies so that we live sustainably within the regenerative capacity of the living world, we need to first understand our unique environment and rethink our relationship with our local bioregions.

A bioregion is an area of land or sea defined by common patterns of natural characteristics and environmental processes (such as geology, landform patterns, climate, ecological features and plant and animal communities). A bioregion is smaller than an ecoregion, but larger than an ecosystem or catchment area. A bioregion’s borders are defined by natural boundaries such as mountain ranges and soil types (rather than the political boundaries of many maps). Australia has 89 bioregions and each one is a unique collection of ecological communities, which experiences different patterns of human land use.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER

Gethin Morgan is a pioneer of bioregional classification in Australia, co-authoring the delineation of bioregions and subregions in Queensland in 1975, and over most of NSW in 1986. In 1990 he prepared a bioregional land use plan for the New England Tableland.

From 1989 he refined a regional ecosystem classification system integrating geology, geomorphology, soils and vegetation. This robust but flexible classification provides a strong predictive framework for ecosystem occurrence, natural values, and land capabilities and constraints. It is now an essential tool for mapping and collating data for land use planning and management in Queensland.

In 1995 Gethin helped guide the delineation of a national bioregional framework, and in 2001 worked with the states and territories to develop the first national sub-regionalisation.

ABOUT OUR MASTERCLASS

In our masterclass, Gethin Morgan will:

• provide an overview of the history and processes used to develop the bioregional and sub-regional classification system in Australia;
• explain the scientific differences between bioregions, sub-regions, catchments (watersheds) and ecosystems;
• explain why bioregions are important for understanding ecological systems, ecological integrity and ecological limits;
• provide examples of key characteristics and features of selected bioregions around Australia.

The masterclass will be facilitated by AELA’s National Convenor, Dr Michelle Maloney.

Michelle and Gethin will conclude the Masterclass with a discussion about how bioregions can form a critical foundation for sustainability programs.

PLANETARY BOUNDARIES AND ECOLOGICAL LIMITS

This workshop is part of a series of important events designed to increase knowledge about Australia’s unique environments, and connect that knowledge to understanding our ecological limits, including the concept of “Planetary Boundaries”.

In AELA’s new annual series, we will learn from world leading scientists, economists, lawyers and regenerative communities, about how Planetary Boundaries can help us understand the ecological limits of our world, and how we can use bioregions as a regional and local foundation to take action toward a more sustainable pathway for human societies.