The Atlas Project prepares society to respond to the risks from the Earth system’s tipping points. As the climate heats up, scientific evidence of the critical state of natural systems increases. For example, ice sheets and the Atlantic meridional circulation are both approaching their tipping points, beyond which irreversible change is imminent. These natural systems carry the life on Earth on their shoulders, just as the Atlas holds up the heavens.
The Atlas Project aims to increase multidisciplinary and multi-voiced research, generalises science and creates the conditions for fair and science-based governance of tipping points. The project builds bridges between researchers, policy makers, Indigenous Peoples and the environmental movement, especially in Finland. In order to safeguard the livelihoods of young people and future generations, the risks associated with tipping points must be taken into account in today’s politics. Climate strategies need to be updated to the 2020s.
