Change or collapse

When I started writing about sustainable development in 1987 there was a burst of optimism. A number of politicians, polluting companies and environmental organizations saw a breakthrough in thinking about we could continue modern economies without destroying the environment. It turns out many people were overly optimistic. Nearly four decades later after publication of Our Common Future, the Brundtland report, the transition to a sustainable economy and sustainable lifestyles seems beyond our capabilities. We have made tremendous progress, stopping the destruction of the ozone layer, curbing acid rain and banning several dangerous chemicals. Virtually every nation has agreed that we need to reverse climate change and stop the destruction of the natural world that supports life on Earth. Renewable energy is starting to supplant fossil fuels. Electric cars are becoming mainstream. Recycling is the norm in many parts of the world. It’s good but not sufficient. We’re burning more fossil fuels than ever to keep up with the tremendous demand for electricity and transportation. We’re cutting and burning more forests both for timber and to create farmland and pastures to feed the world’s growing population. The world’s natural areas are shrinking driving species to extinction.

A recent article in The Guardian newspaper asks if we are heading toward the collapse of modern civilization. It quotes Danilo Brozović, Associate Professor in Business Administration at the University of Skövde, Sweden, as saying some pessimists believe we could be heading toward extinction of humans. He says others are less dramatic but still see: “…the end of life as we know it today. There will be less globalization and a lower standard of life, affecting public health very negatively.” A more academic article by Brozović on societal collapse appears in the journal Science Direct.

What lies in the future? In the Guardian story Brozović says “At the end of the day, we have to radically transform society, and we have to do it fast.” That means overhauling politics, policies and institutions, safeguarding food production and the natural world that supports life on Earth. The problem is that many people like things the way they are and refuse to make the sometimes difficult even painful changes needed to stabilize our environment and assure our future.