By Abbas Nazil
A new global report has raised alarm that more than 75 percent of the planet’s health and life support systems are now in danger due to human activities.
According to the 2025 Planetary Health Check report by the Planetary Boundaries Science Lab, seven out of nine key Earth system boundaries have been breached, signaling a deepening environmental crisis.
The latest breach, ocean acidification, has reached dangerous levels for the first time, marking a new threat to marine ecosystems.
“The ocean is becoming more acidic, oxygen levels are dropping, and marine heatwaves are increasing,” said Levke Caesar, co-lead of the Planetary Boundaries Science Lab.
Researchers found that ocean acidification, caused by excess carbon dioxide, is damaging marine shells and threatening aquatic life, particularly in polar and coastal regions.
Dr. Sylvia Earle, a renowned oceanographer, described the ocean as the planet’s life-support system, warning that rising acid levels could disrupt ocean currents that regulate global weather patterns.
She emphasized that ignoring the “flashing red warning light” of ocean acidification could collapse the foundation of life on Earth.
The other six boundaries already crossed include climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater depletion, land system change, biogeochemical flow disruption, and pollution from synthetic materials like plastics.
These boundaries represent critical thresholds that, once surpassed, risk destabilizing the Earth’s systems.
“We are witnessing widespread decline in the health of our planet,” said Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
However, he noted that humanity still has a window of opportunity to reverse the damage.
“Failure is not inevitable; it is a choice that can be avoided,” Rockström added.
The report highlights that only ozone depletion and aerosol loading remain within safe limits, showing slight signs of recovery thanks to international cooperation and environmental policies.
Scientists warn that unless urgent global action is taken, the continued deterioration of Earth’s systems will have irreversible consequences for climate stability, food security, and human survival.