How Western civilisation could collapse

Some possible precipitating factors are already in place. How the West reacts to them will determine the world’s future, says Rachel Nuwer.

Rachel Nuwer considers how societal collapse occurs, finding that often it results from multiple contributing factors acting together. Safa Motesharrei, a systems scientist at the University of Maryland, and his colleagues published findings in 2014 identifying two primary factors that matter: ecological strain and economic stratification. Two factors that currently are not looking favorable.

Thomas Homer-Dixon, chair of global systems at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Canada explains, “‘The question is, how can we manage to preserve some kind of humane world was we make our way through these changes?”‘ Nuwer concludes:

“Even as we weather the coming stresses of climate change, population growth and dropping energy returns, we can maintain our societies and better them. But that requires resisting the very natural urge, when confronted with such overwhelming pressures, to become less cooperative, less generous and less open to reason.”

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