While the notion that we might be approaching Earth’s maximum, or its breaking point, has previously been associated with environmentalism, there is now a growing amount of scientific research to support this notion. With our population exceeding eight billion, we are finding it increasingly difficult to deny the pressure we are placing on our environment. However, the problem is not as simple as “too many people,” and it has a great deal to do with how we use our resources, how we dispose of our waste, and how we interact with our environment. Scientists who study our planet and its health are concerned that we are, in fact, destabilising our environment and posing a question to ourselves: are we approaching Earth’s breaking point?

Planetary boundaries: Understanding Earth’s limits

To get an understanding of the extent of the problem, the concept of planetary boundaries has been created, which refers to the environment in which human beings can safely operate. The boundaries include climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater use, and land system change, among others. Crossing these boundaries increases the chances of irreversible damage to the environment.According to the researchers from the Institute of Climate Change, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, the boundaries can be referred to as the “safe operating space for humanity,” which indicates that once these boundaries are crossed, the Earth will no longer be able to function in a stable and predictable manner.Recent research indicates that human beings have crossed several boundaries, including those concerning biodiversity loss and climate change. This indicates that human beings are no longer affecting the environment but are actually changing it.

Population growth and resource demand

The global population crisis has been regarded as the major cause of environmental stress. With more human beings, there will be a greater demand for food, water, energy, and land use. The increasing human population will result in more urbanisation, agricultural production, and energy consumption, thereby causing environmental stress.However, environmental scientists now tend to be more careful in explaining that human population growth, per se, does not tell the entire story. According to a major study at the University of Leeds, no country today succeeds in meeting human needs without surpassing sustainable limits.As researcher Daniel O’Neill explains:“Almost everything we do, from having dinner to surfing the Internet, uses resources in some way.”This approach shifts the debate away from human population growth and towards consumption. In many countries, particularly in more affluent countries, human consumption patterns now use many more resources than what is sustainable.

Are we nearing Earth’s breaking point

The term “breaking point” may sound somewhat dramatic, but it is in fact an expression of genuine scientific worry. A study published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal on the safe and just planetary boundaries reveals the following: “The degradation of the environment is becoming more rapid due to overuse of resources and unequal consumption patterns. While some people are consuming far more than the planet can sustainably support, others are unable to access the minimum they need.” The scientists involved in the study explain: “The safe operating space for humanity is decreasing, which means the margin of error is becoming smaller year by year.”

The actual challenge: Rethinking how we live

The question, however, is not how many people inhabit the Earth, but how they choose to inhabit it. Overconsumption, inefficient use of resources, and neglect of the environment are among the main reasons for the current problems. To solve these problems, we do not just need new technologies; we also need a new mindset.According to experts, the sustainable future will bring about a reduction in our resource-consuming lifestyle, clean and renewable energy, and equitable use and distribution of resources. The idea is not just to exist, but to exist in a manner that will enable us to flourish.As research continues to prove, our planet is not yet beyond repair, but it is definitely under stress, and our actions will determine whether we can heal our planet or take a step closer to its limits.

Screengrab source: X/@ActualidadRT

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, along with top Tehran officials in capital, made a rare public appearance on Tuesday, joining pro-regime rallies in the city to mark “Islamic Republic Day.”Amid soaring tensions in the Middle East and ongoing threats to senior Iranian leaders, the officials were seen casually mingling with participants, taking selfies, and moving through the crowd without visible security.Araghchi told reporters, “I came to be among them, to draw energy from the movement on the ground and to enjoy this unity and popular cohesion.” Videos of their participation quickly circulated on social media, Ynet news reported. The last time Pezeshkian and Araghchi were seen publicly was on “Iranian Quds Day,” alongside former security chief Ali Larijani, who was killed days later in a US-Israeli strike.Their appearance comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly listed “10 plagues” against Iran, including strikes targeting the country’s senior leadership, and claimed Israel was “systematically crushing the terrorist regime.”In remarks to the European Council, Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s willingness to end the ongoing conflict, provided “essential conditions are met — especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression.” These statements reflect Tehran’s counterproposal to a 15-point US plan, demanding mechanisms that would prevent Israel and the United States from resuming hostilities.Araghchi confirmed ongoing communications with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff but denied they constituted negotiations. “What is happening now is not negotiations, but an exchange of messages, directly or through our friends in the region,” he told Al Jazeera. “We have not sent any response to the United States’ 15-point proposal. Our conditions for ending the war are clear. We will not accept a ceasefire.”Reports indicate that Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were temporarily removed from US and Israeli assassination lists about a week ago to allow for potential talks, which have not yet occurred. The Iranian leadership emphasized their readiness to defend the country in any scenario.

Oracle has started its largest-ever layoffs, impacting thousands globally. Employees must sign termination documents via DocuSign to receive severance, which appears less generous than competitors. These cuts, potentially reaching 30,000, aim to fund a massive AI data center expansion, a move that has placed the company under significant financial strain.

Oracle has begun its largest-ever round of layoffs, with estimates suggesting up to 30,000 jobs could be cut globally—and the severance comes with strings attached. Affected employees will only receive their payout after signing termination documents sent via DocuSign. No signature, no money. The company has not publicly commented on the layoffs or the severance terms.The termination emails, sent from “Oracle Leadership,” started hitting inboxes at 6AM IST in India and 3AM Pacific in the US on Tuesday. No prior warning, no HR call, no manager in the loop. The email informed employees their roles had been eliminated as part of a “broader organizational change” and that the day they read the email was their last working day. Many were locked out of internal systems almost immediately after.

Oracle’s US severance: four weeks’ base pay plus one week per year of service, capped at 26 weeks

For US employees, Oracle is offering four weeks of base salary for the first year of employment, plus one additional week for every year after that, up to a maximum of 26 weeks. To qualify for a full year in the calculation, employees must have worked at least six months in their last year. The payout will also be adjusted in states with a WARN notice period.It’s a noticeably thinner package than what other tech companies have put on the table recently. Block, which cut nearly half its workforce last week, offered 20 weeks of salary plus one week per year of tenure, six months of healthcare, and a $5,000 stipend. Meta’s 2025 severance included 16 weeks of pay plus two weeks per year of service, along with six months of health insurance. Oracle’s offer doesn’t appear to include any healthcare continuation or additional perks.In India, the severance is expected to follow the standard N+2 formula—N being the number of years worked, paid out in months. Unvested RSUs, however, are forfeited entirely.

The layoffs could hit 30,000 as Oracle scrambles to fund its AI data centre expansion

TD Cowen estimates the cuts could reach 20,000 to 30,000 employees—roughly 18% of Oracle’s 162,000-strong global workforce—freeing up $8–10 billion in cash flow. The money is needed to fund a debt-heavy push into AI infrastructure that has put the company under serious financial pressure. Oracle has added $58 billion in new debt in two months, its stock has lost over half its value since September 2025, and several US banks have pulled back from financing its data centre projects.Posts on Reddit’s r/employeesOfOracle and Blind indicate the cuts have hit teams across Oracle Health, Cloud, Sales, Customer Success, NetSuite IDC, RHS, and SVOS.

Since the onset of the geopolitical tensions, the currency has declined by roughly 4%. (AI image)

Will the US-Iran war lead to the rupee hitting the 100 per dollar mark? Experts are of the view that a prolonged Middle East conflict may lead to the rupee depreciating even more with policy measures unlikely to offer any substantial support.The rupee could weaken to an unprecedented level of 100 against the US dollar or even lower if the conflict involving Iran persists, with strategists cautioning that policy measures aimed at containing its roughly 10% depreciation over the past year may offer only limited and temporary support.Expectations are growing that the conflict may be approaching a resolution after US President Donald Trump indicated that he anticipates it could conclude within two to three weeks. However, the certainty of this timeline remains questionable, especially as the United States has recently increased its military presence in the region, leaving scope for further escalation if the stance changes.Even prior to the conflict, the rupee was facing downward pressure due to widening external imbalances and persistent capital outflows. The surge in oil prices has intensified these challenges for the world’s third-largest crude importer, while a possible decline in remittances from Indians working in the Gulf could further weaken inflows and overall sentiment.The Indian rupee slipped past the 95-per-dollar level on Monday, touching an all-time intraday low of 95.22, before recovering slightly to settle at 94.83, its weakest closing level on record. Since the onset of the geopolitical tensions, the currency has declined by roughly 4%.

Rupee at 100 per dollar?

According to analysts at Wells Fargo and Van Eck Associates Corp. quoted in a Bloomberg report, sustained high crude oil prices are likely to accelerate the currency’s decline by pushing up inflation and widening the current account deficit. Signals from the options market reinforce this outlook, with pricing indicating expectations of further depreciation and a possible move toward the 100 mark.The rupee, already among the weakest Asian currencies against the dollar this year, has prompted the Reserve Bank of India to introduce one of its most significant interventions in over a decade. The central bank has capped banks’ end-of-day positions in the domestic currency market at $100 million, effectively forcing lenders to reduce exposure and limiting their ability to take large directional bets against the rupee.However, trading on Monday underscored the limitations of these steps. The rupee initially strengthened by as much as 1.4% following the announcement but later reversed sharply, slipping to a new low of 95.125 during the session. Markets remained closed on Tuesday.“100 per dollar is no longer a tail risk — it is a credible stress scenario if current conditions persist,” said Ahmed Azzam, head of financial market research at broker Equiti Group in Amman. “The latest measures look more like short-term stabilization tools than a structural solution.”Bearish positions on the rupee continue to persist. Nick Twidale of AT Global Markets noted that trading activity on his platform still reflects bets against the currency despite recent regulatory measures, indicating that some investors are looking beyond the central bank’s interventions.“100 and beyond is a virtual certainty as long as the war persists,” the veteran currency trader told Bloomberg. “The RBI will try and stop the weakness, but macro conditions will still take over. The rupee will turn one day, but it won’t be dictated by the RBI — it’ll be determined by markets.”Data from options markets suggests traders are assigning roughly a 13% probability that the dollar-rupee exchange rate could reach 100 by the end of June, and about a 41% likelihood by the end of the year, according to Bloomberg-compiled figures.According to Aroop Chatterjee, a global macro strategist at Wells Fargo, the future path of the rupee will largely depend on the extent and duration of elevated energy prices. He compared the situation to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when the currency depreciated around 10% over six months. In the current scenario, disruptions to oil supply could be more severe, although the rupee has declined by less than 5% since the conflict began.Chatterjee said that if the US-Iran conflict extends through the end of April, the dollar-rupee exchange rate could very likely move past the 100 level.Brent crude prices have surged nearly 44% since tensions escalated in late February, touching a peak of $119.50 per barrel. Some analysts caution that prices could rise further, potentially reaching $150 or even $200, if the near shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz continues for another six to eight weeks.Chatterjee also noted that the Reserve Bank of India’s restrictions may tighten liquidity in the domestic foreign exchange market. This could increase hedging costs for importers and foreign portfolio investors, while also encouraging more speculative trades to shift to offshore markets beyond the central bank’s direct influence.The rupee had already been under strain before the conflict, due to concerns around US-India trade relations, the potential impact of artificial intelligence on key service exports, and weak foreign investment inflows. As a result, some market participants believe that even a resolution to the Middle East tensions may not be sufficient to halt the currency’s decline.“If and when it does end, I’d expect the rupee to resume underperforming,” said Win Thin, chief economist at Bank of Nassau 1982 Ltd., who has close to four decades of experience in financial markets. “That is, it won’t see much relief.”Uncertainty surrounding the duration of the conflict has led global investors to withdraw approximately $12 billion from Indian equities in March, marking the largest monthly outflow on record.Anna Wu, a cross-asset strategist at VanEck, described India’s position as particularly challenging, pointing to its exposure to oil price shocks and sustained foreign capital outflows.“I think it’s possible to reach 100,” she said, highlighting the absence of a clear policy tightening trajectory from the central bank along with rising risks to economic growth, which she described as India’s strongest advantage.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)