Planetary boundaries – The Green Tau

Proper 21, 17th Sunday after Trinity

27th September 2026

Reflection with readings below

“‘The ways of the Lord are unfair!’ Are they?” replies God.

Ezekiel then takes the viewpoint of God to expose to the people how it is their unrighteousness, their iniquity, their failure to live according to God’s ways, that have brought them into such dire straights. It is not God’s ways that are at fault, but the people’s inability to live by them. Yet there is still the option of repentance and a fresh start with ‘a new heart and a new spirit.’

I believe we are in the same position as those hearing Ezekiel’s accusations. This week it is reported that ‘The planetary life support systems relied upon by humans have deteriorated to their worst levels ever recorded amid ongoing pollution and habitat destruction, according to a key yet grim annual update by scientists. Of the nine “planetary boundaries” that help determine whether life can flourish on Earth, seven are being breached at their highest ever levels of transgression, according to the latest planetary health check, a process that was established in 2009.

‘The seven key indicators in the danger zone include climate change, change in biosphere integrity, land system change, freshwater change, modification of biogeochemical flows, introduction of novel entities and, for the first time last year, ocean acidification.’ (1)

Yet despite all the evidence we are not, as global community, addressing this crisis. Rather it is seen as unfair to press fossil fuel corporations and states to end fossil fuel production. It is unfair to diminish their profits. It is unfair to encourage eating less meat and dairy, to encourage a switch to a much healthier plant-rich diet. It is unfair to end the use of private jets and to shrink the air industry. It is unfair to curb the individuals right to choose even if that choice destroys the choice of a healthy life for others. It is unfair to restrain the expansion of AI, to limit the artificial creation of cute cats videos or to expect people to write their own essays. It is unfair to tax and redistribute the wealth of those who earn more in an hour than others earn in a year. It is unfair to redistribute wealth between nations – but it is not unfair for rich nations to spend more on weapons than they do on aid.

And so the global economy continue to do all the same things that have pushed, and continue to push, us into the danger zone that exists beyond safe planetary boundaries. And we continue to experience at an ever increasing rate the consequences – extreme weather events, rapidly declining biodiversity, growing water shortages, plastic pollution, disease and conflict.

When will we repent? When will we listen and look, reflect and learn, the ways of God – the only ways that leads to the flourishing of all life? Just as was offered to the people of the days of Ezekiel, God will reinvigorate us with a new heart and spirit, if we but cast off our sinful lifestyles.

Looking into the etymology of the word ‘authority’, in the 1300s one understanding was of the “author whose statements are regarded as correct.” And in the 1400s “power derived from good reputation; power to convince people, capacity for inspiring trust.” In our present age we are well aware of the scope for fake news, for disinformation and misinformation spread by disingenuous news channels, by discreditable individuals and by social media, to know that you cannot always trust the authority behind their stories. We know too how easily those fake or disingenuous view points are funded and spread by large, wealthy -often shady – third parties.

So maybe the Jewish authorities were right to question the authority behind Jesus’ words. But it seems as if they had not done their homework. If they are now questioning Jesus’s authority one presumes they have made previous inquiries of other people in similar circumstances, of whom John the Baptist would have been an obvious candidate. Back in chapter 11 of Matthew’s gospel, John the Baptist asks this very question of Jesus: ‘Who are you? Are you God’s expected one?’ To which Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor”. (Matthew 11:4-5) In other words Jesus is saying, Look at the things I do, and you will know who I am; pay attention to my actions and you will know who sent me.

It seems as if the Jewish authorities have neither done this with reference to John the Baptist nor with reference to Jesus. The gospels record multiple examples of deeds and actions that point to Jesus’s intimate relationship with God. Indeed Jesus has given this very teaching in chapter 7 “By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.” (Matthew 7:16-20)

Jesus then presents the Jewish authorities with a telling parable: It is what you actually do, rather than what you say you will do, that matters. In a sense it is immaterial on whose authority you are given an instruction – what counts is whether you fulfil that instruction. Have the authorities fulfilled the instructions given to them by God? Do their deeds reflect their words? Having heard God’s word, have they followed through with action?

The letter to the Philippians reminds us that we are called to be like Christ: to have the same mindset as Christ, to have the same love for one another, to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but to act in humility, to look not to our own interests, but to the interests of others.

And that takes us back to the plight of life on earth. Those who have discerned and know God’s wisdom, those who have studied the Book of Nature, those who have a grounded and robust scientific understanding, all tell us that we are at a crisis point. Do we hear and respect the authority they have? They also tell us what it that we must to do if we are to dial down this disaster, how we must reform our lives – be less greedy, live in harmony with nature, restore what has been damaged and share equitably what remains. Do we act on what they tell us? Sadly it seems as if many nations, businesses and institutions, say ‘yes’ but do ‘no’.

The challenge for those of us who follow Christ is to be the ones who both say ‘yes’ and do ‘yes’! And not only that, we must also, just as Jesus did, just as Ezekiel did, stand up and tell truth to those in power, demand repentance – ie a complete change of direction – and press for a new, genuinely enacted, God-led, approach to living our lives on earth.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/21/planetary-boundaries-breached-scientists-warn-climate-crisis?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Ezekiel 18:1-4,25-32

The word of the Lord came to me: What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”? As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.

Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live.

Psalm 25:1-8

1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
my God, I put my trust in you; *
let me not be humiliated,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.

2 Let none who look to you be put to shame; *
let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.

3 Show me your ways, O Lord, *
and teach me your paths.

4 Lead me in your truth and teach me, *
for you are the God of my salvation;
in you have I trusted all the day long.

5 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, *
for they are from everlasting.

6 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *
remember me according to your love
and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.

7 Gracious and upright is the Lord; *
therefore he teaches sinners in his way.

8 He guides the humble in doing right *
and teaches his way to the lowly.

Philippians 2:1-13

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death–
even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Matthew 21:23-32

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”

Green Tau: Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Sustainability

24th July 2026

When ecosystems flourish they are rich with biodiversity. Conversely diminishing biodiversity causes ecosystems to fail. Currently biodiversity globally is in decline. In 2022 world leaders met to address this issue and the outcome was the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The headliner was that the national signatories undertook to restore for nature 30% of land and of sea by 2030 – abbreviated to 30by30. This is a huge undertaking – a highly necessary one – but perhaps not surprisingly it is something nations now struggle to meet.

The whole planet is one large ecosystem in which water flows, plants grow, fish swim, birds fly, carbon circulates, rocks erode etc etc. Is this a thriving ecosystem? Nine key measures have been identified by which to assess the health of the earth’s ecosystem – and are known as planetary boundaries. One of these boundaries measures fresh water. If we consumer such water at a slower rate than it is replenished by the earth’s ecosystem, we can be assessed as living within the limits of that planetary boundary. If we consume fresh water at a faster rate, then we are assessed as living beyond the limit of that boundary. Not only is this (and we have indeed exceeded this planetary boundary) damaging to the earth’s ecosystem it is also threatens our survival too (or rather the survival of the most vulnerable people).

The other eight boundaries are – climate change, biosphere integrity (which assesses both biodiversity levels and the rate at which we extract resources such as timber, cereals etc), landuse change (balance between natural and human use), nutrients (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus), ocean acidification, aerosols in the atmosphere, ozone depletion, pollution of novel entities (manmade compounds such as plastics). Of these nine planetary boundaries, we are now living beyond the safe limits of seven – only with respect to ozone depletion and aerosol levels in the atmosphere, are we living within safe limits.

What we also know is that these nine areas are interconnected. Accelerating climate change adversely impacts biodiversity and freshwater systems. Out of balance landuse impacts both climate change and biodiversity. And so on.

However we have so often seen ourselves as humans as being above and outside these ecosystems. We are the ones who instead control and manipulate ecosystems to maximise our gains. We are the ones who determine what is good for humans and what is not, who select what should grow and what should be uprooted, who take without giving back. It is this failure to see ourselves as part of and dependent on the multiple layers of ecosystems, that has brought us to situation where we are living outside the safe boundaries of the planet.

Another way of viewing this is by looking at the date of Earth Overshoot Day. This day marks the point in the calendar when we have used up a year’s worth of the planets renewable resources (eg freshwater, clean air, fish, timber ……..) This year Earth Overshoot Day is July 30th. After that we are living in the red. This means for example, vis a vis freshwater, that we will be drawing on our capital of fresh water – water taken from aquifers that cannot be replaced. This means that some people will live with inadequate water supplies, and their crops and livestock will die. This means that wild animals, birds and insects will die.

If this were a financial issue, we would be obliged to pull in our horns, to spend less and save more. But as we don’t pay – financially for many of these goods and services – there doesn’t seem to be any formalised way in which the global community is addressing this debt crisis. We should also note that this debt is not being shared equally. A large number of the people from the poorest and most remote communities are bearing the bulk of the pain, whilst a far small number of people are continuing to live ever increasing lives of wealth – lives, in effect, of decadence. Where do I fit in? It could be as a middle class white western person be in the latter group.

To return to the 30by30 target, it seems obvious that it cannot be tackled in isolation but needs to be part of lifestyle revolution that recognises and works with the understanding that all ecosystems are interdependent and that humans are just one feature of each ecosystem of which they are a part. I don’t think this observation makes the challenge any easier but it would ensure a greater likelihood that any policies of reform would actually work.

I don’t know of any country that is taking a wholistic approach. Here in the UK the likelihood that we will restore biodiversity to safe, sustainable levels by 2030 seems highly unlikely. Not least because it is not being approached as part of a national ecosystem.

For example, to restore 30% of land such that nature can flourish, cannot happen without also looking at landuse – how much land can we safely use to graze livestock and grow fodder, as well as growing enough grain, fruit and vegetables to feed our population? If – as we would – have to reduce us the amount of land used to produce meat and dairy products, will we also look at our diets? Will we switch to a diet rich in plants and low in meat and dairy?

Again will we at the same time look at how we use water? Changing how we use the land could have a positive impact on our use of fresh water supplies. But we should at the same time look at how water is used by industries, and especially by data centres. Conversely will we note that restoring nature across wide tracts of land will improve water retention by the land, improve flood resilience, reduce loss of water via evaporation during heat waves etc? Will we note that restoring nature across wide tracts of land will improve access to green spaces which we know improves mental and physical wellbeing? Will we note that plant rich diets will significantly improve people’s health?

It is surely within the capacity of human kind to restore a right relationship with the planet’s ecosystems such that not just our lives but the lives of those with whom we share this planet, can flourish sustainably?

Counting on 2026 … day 14

27th January

“Biosphere Integrity refers to the capacity of ecosystems across the planet to support life and maintain the overall health and stability of the Earth system. This depends on the health, diversity, and interactions of the organisms that make up these ecosystems.” (1)

This is a safety boundary that we – because of human activity – have passed. We are living in the danger zone that means crises are inevitable. We experience this through rapidly declining numbers of pollinators (essential for growing crops); increasing soil infertility; declining ability of the environment to absorb carbon dioxide; declining ability of ecosystems to absorb rain so limiting flooding; loss of species removing opportunities to benefit from them for food, medicines, building materials etc; increasing loss of green and blue spaces that maintain our physical and mental wellbeing.

Human activities that are causing the loss of biodiversity integrity include:-

Deforestation
Changing land uses including the expansion of urban structures
Increased intensification of agricultural
Expansion of agricultural land use
Industrialised fishing
Expansion of mining activities including deep sea mining
Expansion of industrial processes increasing pollution
Expansion of activities producing greenhouse gases – eg use of fossil fuels and livestock farming
Increased production of novel entities and the spread of invasive, non-indigenous species

https://www.planetaryhealthcheck.org/boundary/change-in-biosphere-integrity/

Global risk map of the Change in Biosphere Integrity, based on the functional integrity (HANPP) control variable. Transgression is based on the HANPP control variable. All values shown on the map refer to the year 2010. Based on data from Kastner et al. 2022.

Most boundary transgressions occur in large, continuous regions with high land-use intensity. In contrast, areas in regions without transgressions, such as the Amazon, the Congo Basin, and boreal forests, are primarily natural or semi-natural.

Third Sunday After Epiphany

25th January 2026

Reflection with readings below

Two of our readings have the prophecy that ‘the people who walked/ sat in darkness have seen a great light’. A prophecy of salvation or of awakening(which might be the same thing). It speaks of change – significant change – for the people. It may even be talking of systemic change – ie that they way in which things happen, the way in which they are done, is completely changed from top to bottom, from root to branch. And that surely is likely, because Jesus’s gospel is one of complete change. Certainly it was a complete change for the four fishermen who join Jesus in sharing the gospel.

When we look around the world today the need for change is obvious but it is hard to know where to start.

We have war and violence and the threat of war and violence. Arming the opposing sides doesn’t end the violence. But maybe solidarity – presenting a unified diplomatic front, enacting boycotts etc – does.

We can discern the roots of war and conflict in water shortages, in food shortages, in the impact of climate change that makes environments inhabitable – but also in corruption, misinformation and the abuse of power.

The Earth does have enough resources to feed the world population but it needs resources to be diverted from livestock to humans – ie growing protein rich plants for humans to eat not for captive animals. It needs changes in income distribution so that everyone can afford to buy the food – and we need income redistribution to prevent a small number of individuals cornering the vast proportion of the world’s wealth.

As regards fresh water we are in a crisis, globally we are using fresh water faster than it can be replenished by the natural systems of convection and precipitation. In scientific parlance we have breached a planetary boundary vis a vis fresh water. We need to limit consumption – which again goes back to changing what we eat and the way we farm, but also to the technologies we use – AI is greedy consumer of water – the clothes we wear cotton in particular consumes vast quantities of water, whilst the processing of fabrics is also water intensive. We compound many problems by prematurely discarding what we have bought.

Another planetary boundary we have crossed is that of biodiversity. In its diminished state it does not support the ecosystems that we rely on. And another boundary crossed is the amount of greenhouse gases we are pumping out into the atmosphere and which are causing the increasing incidence of extreme weather events.

If this all seems impossible to address, you’re not alone! But let us hear the message that Jesus brought: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus took the message to the people around him, telling them parables, healing those who were sick, paying attention to what people needed, teaching them of the power of loving one another.

To follow Jesus can mean to completely uproot and transform our lives as did the fishermen. Or it can mean to completely transform our lives and stay put as it did for for Mary and Martha and Lazarus, or for the man called Legion, or for Peter’s mother-in-law. Transforming our lives in situ is probably a life’s work: how in each situation can we be more loving, how in each part of the day can we be open to God’s presence, how can we support each other in the fellowship of the Spirit? But we can. We have the resources – our Christian communities, our prayer life, reading the Bible and learning from the insights of others, from the strength and comfort of God, from the example of Jesus, from gaining knowledge of the natural world, of the possibilities of diplomacy and alternative economics, of new and old technologies, of the power of love and hope.

A different world is possible, the kingdom of heaven is near at hand.

Isaiah 9:1-4

There will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep darkness–
on them light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.

For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.

Psalm 27:1, 5-13

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? *
the Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall I be afraid?

5 One thing have I asked of the Lord;
one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;

6 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord *
and to seek him in his temple.

7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; *
he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling
and set me high upon a rock.

8 Even now he lifts up my head *
above my enemies round about me.

9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of great gladness; *
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *
have mercy on me and answer me.

11 You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” *
Your face, Lord, will I seek.

12 Hide not your face from me, *
nor turn away your servant in displeasure.

13 You have been my helper;
cast me not away; *
do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptised none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptised in my name. (I did baptise also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptised anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptise but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Matthew 4:12-23

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—

the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light,

and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
light has dawned.”

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Counting on 2026 … day 13

22nd January

In restoring a sustainable balance vis a vis land use across the globe, whilst most attention is focused on ending deforestation and promoting reforestation, restoring wetlands is also important. Whilst wetlands (including peatlands, marshes, floodplains and mangrove swamps) may only cover 5-8% of the Earth’s surface, they are critical as absorbers of carbon dioxide, as defences against erosion, and as preventers of excess flooding. They are also areas that have been drained and used for other purposes.

“Wetlands are critically important ecosystems that support biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, food production, freshwater availability, recreation, wellbeing, and so much more. Yet we are losing our wetlands three times faster than forests.” (1)

In the UK the Fen Lands have been drained so that the peat rich soils can be used as high grade farm land but with the disadvantage that as the land dries out, so it shrinks, becoming increasingly at risk of flooding, and with the effect of destabilising the foundations of roads and infrastructure across the region.

Elsewhere in the UK peatlands have suffered from the effects of burning and grouse shooting, overstocking with livestock, planting for commercial forestry, extraction for peat compost, and pollution. (2) Overall some 80% of the UK’s peatlands have been degraded.

One way of restoring peatlands and maintaining their agricultural use, is through paludiculture. Here lowland peatland is rewetted and used to grow crops that thrive in wet conditions such as Norfolk Reed used for thatching; bulrushes (typha) used as a building material, as a bioenergy crop and in clothing; sphagnum moss which can be used as a peat substitute as well as for biomecidal and industrial chemical uses; food crops such as celery, bilberries and cranberries, watercress, sweet grass grains, rice etc. (3)

Counting on 2026 … day 12

21st January

One of the issues with the loss of a sustainable balance in land use (as highlighted by transgressing this planetary boundary) is the loss of soil fertility – and in some cases the loss of the soil itself, being washed or blown away. One solution is to restore the fertility and structure of the soil of the soil and to adopt farming methods that healthy soil. Regenerative farming is a widely used term to describe this process. This is a broad term and can mean many things in different situations. Unlike organic farming, it doesn’t come with any form of certification. Nevertheless, any methods that improve soil fertility are to be encouraged.

Generally regenerative farming will encompass some or all of the following principles:-

limiting soil disturbance
maintaining soil cover
fostering agricultural diversity and rotations
keeping living roots in the soil
integrating livestock and arable systems (1)

What regenerative farming does not address is altering the balance of land use to one that is more sustainable – and which as outlined in the previous entry – should include restoring tree cover, as well as restoring peatlands.

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/blog/vicki-hird/what-regenerative-farming

Counting on 2026 … day 6

14th January

Atmospheric aerosol loading is another planetary boundary that we should avoid crossing. The global concentration of aerosol particles has more than doubled since pre-industrial times. The effect that excessive aerosol concentration could have in human health and the climate that established the need for a safe limit.

What are these particles? – salt condensed from ocean waters, fine sand from desert dust storms, ice crystals over the poles and ash from fires as well as volcanic eruptions, carbon and sulphur dioxide from fossil fuel power statist and industrial smoke stacks, hydrocarbons from combustion engines and stratospheric vapour crystals from aircraft. (1)

It is another boundary where we are currently within the safe limits and in fact the concentration of aerosol particles in the atmosphere is declining as we are across the globe tackling and reducing air pollution, providing alternatives to open cookings fires, ending crop the burning of stubble after crop harvesting, reducing pollution levels from road vehicles and from commercial cargo ships. Taking action to stay within planetary boundaries is good for the planet and for our wellbeing! (2(

Counting on 2026 … day 5

13th January

Stratospheric ozone depletion is one planetary boundary* where we did cross into the danger zone and through concerted global action, pulled back from into the safe limits of the boundary. Regulations curbing what chemicals could be used, for example, in fridges and aerosols, had a real effect!

“”In the face of a triple planetary crisis – climate, nature and pollution – the Montreal Protocol is one of the best examples we have that showcases the positive and powerful outcome of multilateralism,”

Meg Seki, Executive Secretary of UNEP’s Ozone Secretariat. (1)

(1) https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/rebuilding-ozone-layer-how-world-came-together-ultimate-repair-job Do read this full article and/or watch the YouTube clip.

* NB What are the planetary boundaries? https://greentau.org/2025/10/22/counting-on-170/

Counting on 2026 … day 2

8th January

How do we protect and preserve fresh water supplies – part 3

Using less water!

This is something for businesses and farmers and domestic consumers to respond too – and feels particularly pertinent as decisions are made about AI and data centres generally (see tomorrow’s blog).

In the UK at our continued rate of water consumption there will be a daily shortfall of 5 billion litres (about a third of current consumption) by 2050. This takes into account the need to extract less water from rivers, aquifers etc where it negatively impacts the natural environment, a growing population, the need to cope with increasingly frequent droughts, the impact of climate change (eg changing rainfall patterns) and increased use by businesses. (1)

Per capita household water consumption in the UK is already falling, from an average of 169.53 litres per day in 2005/2006 to an average of 139.47 litres in 2023/2024. (2) However there is clearly a need for consumption levels to fall further. A survey across Europe in 2020 varied daily domestic consumption varied from 300 litres in Switzerland to 100 litres in Belgium and even less in Estonia and Slovakia. (3) In some instances the difference maybe due to a lower volume toilet flush, or the frequency and duration and rate of flow of showers, or the frequency of use and water efficiency of appliances such as washing machines.

Websites with water saving tips

How to save water

https://friendsoftheearth.uk/sustainable-living/13-best-ways-save-water

This earlier blog is about saving and reusing grey water around the house – https://greentau.org/2025/07/10/counting-on-day-106-3/

And this one about showering less and more efficiently – https://greentau.org/2025/02/13/counting-on-day-31-3/

Counting on … day 1

7th January 2026

How do we protect and preserve fresh water supplies – part 2

Land use changes, especially things such as deforestation and urbanisation, have aggravated the problem –

“Deforestation, agriculture, and urban expansion have greatly changed the way land stores and moves water. When forests are cleared or soils are sealed under concrete, they lose their ability to hold green water — the moisture that plants rely on. This weakens local rainfall, increases runoff, and can intensify both floods and droughts. Changes to land systems also affect regional weather patterns, such as monsoons, and create feedback loops that further influence the climate.” (1)

Reducing or indeed eliminating such land use changes is clearly beneficial for the wellbeing of the planet. We can go further by reversing the changes by both protecting and increasing land uses that capture and store – eg through reforestation, restoring peatlands and wetlands, re-wriggling rivers (ie allowing them to flow freely and more slowly across a greater expanse of the flood plain, re-establishing water meadows, limiting the extraction of water to protect lakes and aquifers etc.

These nature based solutions not only protect supplies of fresh water, they also protect and enhance biodiversity and reduce the risk of flooding, creating a better environment for us to enjoy.

(1) https://www.planetaryhealthcheck.org/boundary/freshwater-change/