PS11.1

On Earth, we have seen consequential environmental problems in recent years, such as devastating floods, monstrous wildfires, and deadly health crisis. Though humans did not have the intention of affecting the whole planet with industrialization, our activities have shaped the Earth as new studies more confidently demonstrate human activity as one of the major contributing sources to these events.

Concurrently, advancing science and technology is allowing humans to significantly expand their presence beyond Earth with strong commitments by space agencies around the world to increase their efforts. This also raises issues. We have already seen concrete examples, such as defunct objects falling down to Earth. Some issues could arise soon, such as from utilizing lunar resources.

With this background, we invite geoscientists, environmental scientists, planetary scientists, engineers, and policy makers to think about the following question: What have we learned by studying the effect of human activities on Earth at planet scales, and knowing that, how will the advancing space programs impact the state of objects in the Solar System?

Suggested topics include but are not limited to; review of environmental problems on Earth with implications to other planetary bodies; overview of new missions and assessment of their footprints; analog studies; past climate on Earth and other planets; case studies of how geoscientists have hypothesized, designed experiments, measured, and assessed the impact of human activities on Earth. Field-based, remote sensing, experimental, modeling, and theoretical works are welcome.