Topology of sustainable management of dynamical systems with desirable states: from defining planetary boundaries to safe operating spaces in the Earth system

Heitzig, J.; Kittel, T.; Donges, J. F.; Molkenthin, N.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-21-2016

Articles | Volume 7, issue 1

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-21-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

Social dynamics and planetary boundaries in Earth system...

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-21-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 7, issue 1

Research article

|

18 Jan 2016

Research article |

| 18 Jan 2016

Topology of sustainable management of dynamical systems with desirable states: from defining planetary boundaries to safe operating spaces in the Earth system

J. Heitzig, T. Kittel, J. F. Donges, and N. Molkenthin

Download

Final revised paper (published on 18 Jan 2016)
Supplement to the final revised paper
Preprint (discussion started on 12 Mar 2015)

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment

- Printer-friendly version

- Supplement

RC C143: 'Technically excellent but could be better presented', Steven Lade, 02 Apr 2015
RC C220: 'Topology of sustainable management of dynamical systems with desirable states', Anonymous Referee #2, 03 May 2015
AC C350: 'Authors' final response', Jobst Heitzig, 06 Jun 2015
RC C358: 'Referee Report on Heitzig & Kittel', Anonymous Referee #3, 08 Jun 2015
RC C557: 'Referee comment', Anonymous Referee #4, 17 Sep 2015

Peer-review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision

AR by Jobst Heitzig on behalf of the Authors (09 Nov 2015) Author's response Manuscript

ED: Publish as is (26 Nov 2015) by Axel Kleidon

AR by Jobst Heitzig on behalf of the Authors (29 Nov 2015)

Download

Article (8339 KB)
Full-text XML

Short summary

The debate about a safe and just operating space for humanity and the possible pathways towards and within it requires an analysis of the inherent dynamics of the Earth system and of the options for influencing its evolution. We present and illustrate with examples a conceptual framework for performing such an analysis not in a quantitative, optimizing mode, but in a qualitative way that emphasizes the main decision dilemmas that one may face in the sustainable management of the Earth system.