From now on I will use the symbol Ӕ to represent the biosphere.

Since starting this web site I have used ∃!Ⓑ to represent “There exists, exactly one, biosphere”.  The first two characters are standard math and logic usage, while the circled B indicates the bounded nature of the Biosphere.

Nothing could be simpler or more logical.  I could use that shorthand as a logo, an axiom on which to build a view of the entire environmental crisis and as my personal creation myth.

However, the real heroes of these stories, the climate and environmental protestors and activists, have consistently used the phrase “There is no Planet B”.  It is a good, forceful shout with a clear message.

I have skirted around the fact that my use of the letter “B” is in direct contradiction with the intent of “There is no planet B”.

Enough avoidance! From now on I will use the symbol Ӕ to represent the biosphere.

Why Ӕ ?

“A” for Planet A (…there is no Planet B), “E” for Earth.

Does this put up another hurdle to reading my stuff; which is already not that accessible?  Well, yes, maybe.  I will try to mitigate that difficulty by sticking to the following rules:

Ӕ is a type of vowel sound. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨æ⟩, a lowercase of the ⟨Æ⟩ ligature. Both the symbol and the sound are commonly referred to as “ash”. / Wkipedia

In English it is pronounced like  the a in “ash” or “cat”, in German as the ӓ in “spӓt”.

But, as I try to say above, I never intended the symbol to be pronounced – it was always replaced by “biosphere” if spoken.  We’ll see if that makes sense.  Always open to suggestions…