The Verdant Age
To reach the Verdant Age, we need to resolve the Anthropocene Crisis.
To do this we need to Get Our Affairs in Order:
- Euthanize the fossil fuel industry
- Drawdown a trillion tons of atmospheric carbon
- Rewild a third of nature
- Clean up the mess of industrial civilization
- Instill ecological spirituality in a suffic
Conceptions of the Verdant Age
The concept of the Verdant Age has scientific basis. In this diagram, the Verdant Age matches the concept of Stabilized Earth. Stabilized Earth requires an Agency Dominated Biosphere. In this case, humans provide the agency.
Scientific Basis of the Verdant Age
The concept of the Verdant Age has a rich scientific heritage. Here are some of the ideas that underpin the Verdant Age.
The Long Future
There will be life on Earth for another 2 billion years or so, beyond which time the Sun will swell-up and scorch the planet bare of life. If humans can foster an Ecological Civilization, we may be able to survive on this planet deep into the Long Future, i.e. hundreds of millions of years.
Stewards of the Whole Earth System
The 2018 science paper Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene describes the necessity of the human race to become the stewards of the whole Earth System.
Gaia 2.0
Humans add a level of self-awareness to Earth's self-regulation. By emphasizing the agency of life-forms (e.g. human civilization), and their ability to set goals, Gaia 2.0 may be an effective framework for fostering global sustainability.
Class-5 Planet
Astrophysicist Adam Frank developed a scale for describing planets. A Class 5 Planet is on that has an ecological civilization. He defines Class 5 as planets in which an energy-intensive technological species establishes a sustainable form of cooperation with the biosphere that increases the productivity of both. On these planets the civilization enhances the ability of the biosphere to innovate and evolve.
Ecozoic Era
Just as the Anthropocene is the name given to the current geological period of time, a future time is conceived: the Ecozoic. This age will be defined by human civilization and nature thriving in synergy. Of course, if human civilization is driven extinct, this won't happen.
Ecological Civilization
Ecological Civilization implies human civilization that is in synergy with the natural biophysical processes of Planet Earth. In this case, the Living Planet and its Civilization becomes immune to fatal shocks. An Ecological Civilization could potentially survive on this planet for hundreds of millions of years.
The Long Future
Habitable Zone
Life has existed on Earth for over 3.8 billion years because Earth's orbit around the Sun is not so distant that all the water freezes, nor so close that all the water boils off.
Earth is said to occupy the 'Goldilocks Zone' or more scientifically, the Circumstellar Habitable Zone.
Scientists tell us that Earth will continue remain in this zone and be habitable for life for maybe over a billion years.
Beyond this time, the Sun will expand and eventually Earth will be baked dry, taking all of life with it.
Vita calls this potential future life-time, the Long Future.
For argument's sake, let us assume that the Long Future is 1 billion years.
Broadly speaking Long Future is a measure for how long Earth will be habitable for living organisms. However, it remains uncertain how long Earth will remain habitable for humans.
Other Factors
There are many factors that determine how long life might survive on Earth.
The life span of the biosphere revisited
The future lifespan of Earth's oxygenated atmosphere
The future lifespan of Earth's oxygenated atmosphere
Estimates 0.9 billion years before the warming sun causes atmospheric CO2 to reduce and prevent photosynthesis.
The future lifespan of Earth's oxygenated atmosphere
The future lifespan of Earth's oxygenated atmosphere
The future lifespan of Earth's oxygenated atmosphere
The Earth is likely to maintain oxygen concentration for about 1.08 billion years.