This blog was originally published on December 13, 2018 in Patterns of Meaning Yuval Harari’s writings explode many fictions on which modern civilization is based. However, his own unacknowledged fictions perpetuate dangerous myths. In this article, I urge Harari to recognize his own implicit stories, and by doing so, step up to his full potential […]
This article was originally published in Green Peace on June 10, 2018. At the University of Minnesota Dr. Nate Hagens teaches an honours course called “Reality 101: A Survey of the Human Predicament.” Hagens operated his own hedge fund on Wall Street until he glimpsed, “a serious disconnect between capitalism, growth, and the natural world. Money did […]
In the face of climate breakdown and ecological overshoot, alluring promises of “green growth” are no more than magical thinking. We need to restructure the fundamentals of our global cultural/economic system to cultivate an “ecological civilization”: one that prioritizes the health of living systems over short-term wealth production. We’ve now been warned by the world’s […]
Fifteen thousand scientists have issued a dire warning to humanity about impending collapse but virtually no-one takes notice. Ultimately, our global systems, which are designed for perpetual growth, need to be fundamentally restructured to avoid the worst-case outcome. For a moment, the most important news in the entire world flashed across the media like a […]
We live in an age of intersecting political, social, ecological, and technological crises. The pace of change is increasing, the apocalyptic voices are loud, and scientists’ measurements seem to confirm our worst fears. These are scary times for anyone willing to look the facts in the face. As the saying goes, it can be easier […]
As our civilization careens toward a precipice of climate breakdown, ecological destruction, and gaping inequality, people are losing their existential moorings. Our dominant worldview has passed its expiration date: it’s based on a series of flawed assumptions that have been superseded by modern scientific findings. The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to […]
This article was originally published for Greenpeace on June 10, 2018. At the University of Minnesota Dr. Nate Hagens teaches an honours course called “Reality 101: A Survey of the Human Predicament.” Hagens operated his own hedge fund on Wall Street until he glimpsed, “a serious disconnect between capitalism, growth, and the natural world. Money did not […]
This blog was originally published in Patterns of Meaning. Coronavirus is a political crucible, melting down and reshaping current norms. Will the new era be a “Fortress Earth” or a harbinger of a transformed society based on a new set of values? Think Bigger Whatever you might be thinking about the long-term impacts of the […]
Recently, the great renaissance city of Venice, Italy flooded yet again. It is happening ever more frequently. Each time it happens, it seems to get worse. What is happening to Venice provides a foreboding glimpse of what will likely become a permanent condition in many of our Earth’s coastal cities over the next few decades. […]
As civilization faces existential crisis, our leaders demonstrate their inability to respond. Theory of change shows that now is the time for radically new ideas to transform society before it’s too late. Of all the terrifying news bombarding us from the burning of the Amazon, perhaps the most disturbing was the offer of $22 million […]
The article was originally published in Patterns of Meaning on April 11, 2019 On April 10, Jem Bendell wrote a detailed and thoughtful article in response to my critique of Deep Adaptation, “What Will You Say to Your Grandchildren.” I appreciate the care he took to ponder my arguments, note where he concurred, and refute what he felt […]
This blog was originally published in Patterns of Meaning on April 4, 2019 Facing oncoming climate disaster, some argue for “Deep Adaptation”—that we must prepare for inevitable collapse. However, this orientation is dangerously flawed. It threatens to become a self-fulfilling prophecy by diluting the efforts toward positive change. What we really need right now is […]
Imagine a satellite being launched into orbit, but its controls aren’t working too well. If the trajectory gets too steep, it will break through Earth’s gravity field and soar into outer space. If it accelerates too rapidly, atmospheric resistance will cause it to come crashing down in a fiery ball. Only if everything is managed […]
This article originally appeared in Patterns of Meaning, a blog that explores the patterns of meaning that shape our world. There was a resounding tone of history being made in Paris. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was close to tears as he declared: “We have entered a new era of global cooperation on one of the most […]
This is a personal dialogue between Emmy Award writer/producer and author of The Hydrogen Age, Geoffrey Holland, and Michael Charles Tobias, PhD, one of the world’s most influential ecologists. He is a prolific author, filmmaker, and lecturer. In a career to date spanning 45 years, and as President of Dancing Star Foundation for 16 of those years, Tobias’ […]
A group known as the “ecomodernists,” which includes prominent environmental thinkers and development specialists such as Ted Nordhaus, Michael Shellenberger, Stewart Brand, David Keith, and Joyashree Roy has recently published a statement of principles called An Ecomodernist Manifesto (2015). Many of the authors of the Manifesto are connected to an influential think tank called The Breakthrough Institute. The Manifesto is an attempt […]