Human Sphere—The Earth Surface Realm Created by Human

Abstract

The earth realms, such as atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere, have offered the main framework for the major international sustainability programmes for over half a century. However, human sphere is now emerging as an important realm to be added to them. It provides a broad range of academic disciplines with a common ground where and for which to work together for sustainability. Human sphere comprises of human, its various products and environments of both natural and artificial characters. It now surpasses its biological limit, affecting inorganic earth realms such as atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. A new model chart of the earth realms containing human sphere is proposed. Human sphere has not only been expanding vigorously, but also evolving with large scale changes in land use, life style, agriculture, industrial and other activities, altering its inner subsystems and affecting the whole earth system. They form the background of various global environmental problems and large scale geo-disasters, as well as development of human society. Appropriate monitoring of the changes of human sphere together with its interaction with the other spheres, analyses of the related data and information, and enhancement of understanding in human sphere are essential for global sustainability.