We live in a time of epochal change. Whether these are vast changes in the atmosphere, the mass extinction of species or transformations of the nitrogen cycle. These are just some instances of meta changes in the biosphere that is home to humanity. But these changes affect us in varied ways. It depends on which country one lives in and how much or little one earns. If Earth is like a spaceship with different quarters and sections, then some compartments are more similar than others.

Our capacity to understand how nature works and our ability to affect change via reasoned dialogue and negotiation, both offer ground for hope. Only by asking how and why we got here, can we begin to make sense of where we ought to go. The past does not offer magic solutions but getting a sense of it can illuminate the way to a better future. A safe, livable, biologically productive and habitable planet for all including non-human creatures is a goal worth working for. What better place to begin than a sense of how we got here?