Articles | Volume 7, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-353-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-353-2016
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
22 Apr 2016
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 22 Apr 2016

Revolutions in energy input and material cycling in Earth history and human history

Timothy M. Lenton, Peter-Paul Pichler, and Helga Weisz

Viewed

Total article views: 7,934 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
5,230 2,134 570 7,934 565 154 183
  • HTML: 5,230
  • PDF: 2,134
  • XML: 570
  • Total: 7,934
  • Supplement: 565
  • BibTeX: 154
  • EndNote: 183
Views and downloads (calculated since 18 Jan 2016)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 18 Jan 2016)

Cited

Saved (preprint)

Discussed (final revised paper)

Latest update: 27 Mar 2024
Download
Short summary
We identify six past revolutions in energy input and material cycling in Earth and human history. We find that human energy use has now reached a magnitude comparable to the biosphere, and conclude that a prospective sustainability revolution will require scaling up new solar energy technologies and the development of much more efficient material recycling systems. Our work was inspired by recognising the connections between Earth system science and industrial ecology at the "LOOPS" workshop.
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint