How can we develop empathy for a global environmental system?

In the past conflicts and wars were mainly about self-determination and food (18th and 19th Century) and space and resources (19th and 20th Century). Looking to the future and the 21th Century we will see more and more conflicts due to the overuse of environmental resources and systems. We are now living in the Anthropocene and human interference is reaching into nearly every natural system. This will lead to major changes in those systems with possible catastrophic consequences. The increasing world population will become more vulnerability to environmental threads.

Since the 1960s an environmental movement has established. Notable cornerstones are the book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson and the foundation of the “Club of Rome”. Only a small percentage of the western world population is aware of their environmental impact yet. It will be a major task for the 21th Century to establish a global awareness and empathy for nature. This is not anymore a blurred hippie idea, but a necessary step to enable a global sustainable development. We will have to achieve that every person realizes the environmental consequences and systemic impact of its action.

The question is, in which way can Earth System Research contribute to this.
Education and outreach need to be enhanced. Research results need to be translated to the public in a comprehensive way.