Are we living through a catabolic collapse?
by Zaid Hassan on LinkedIn…Unlike theories that frame collapse as an external shock, catabolic collapse suggests that the mechanism of decline is internal, driven by the growing mismatch between resource consumption and available inputs.
The rise of the degrowther right
by David Broder in Jacobin…A new conservative environmentalism that blends anti-modernism with nationalism and austerity is spreading across Europe.
Elite fragmentation in the United States: Global or domestic phenomenon?
by Mark Mizruchi in American Behavioral Scientist…The actions of societal elites exert a disproportionate impact on events and outcomes in their home societies. These actions are driven by a combination of factors internal and external to their nation.
The tasks of now: Toward a new era in climate resilience building
by Susanne Moser, et al…As the climate crisis intensifies, so does the need for philanthropic investments that are strategic,
innovative, and sustained over the long-term. This report identifies a variety of funding opportunities
that align with key transformative strategies.
What is this era of calamity we’re in? Some say ‘polycrisis’ captures it
by Matthew Cantor in The Guardian…The term ‘polycrisis’ has gained traction as we face one disaster after another. It’s overwhelming – but diagnosing the catastrophe is the first step to addressing it.
Exploring critical perspectives on climate security
from NATO Climate Change Center for Change and Security Centre of Excellence…Participants in this workshop were encouraged to re-imagine climate security research by focusing on longer timeframes, deeper cultural connections, and broader spatial scales, and in doing so learn more about the importance of considering humans, non-human entities, and biodiversity as crucial factors in addressing climate change in a nuanced and sustainable manner.
Philanthropy by the numbers
by Aaron Horvath in The Hedgehog Review…If the question is how to do more good with your giving, then the answer MyGoodness provides comes with crisply quantified moral clarity.
2024 Future Perfect 50 list
From Vox…innovators, thinkers & changemakers working to make the future
a better place.
After Spaceship Earth
An expansive look at the contemporary artists confronting, challenging, and reimagining R. Buckminster Fuller's techno-utopianism to envision sustainable futures Architect and designer R. Buckminster Fuller's (1895-1983) concept of "Spaceship...
Playing with time: Introducing a foresight practice to build hopeful futures through transformative stewardship
by Cat Tully in School of International Futures…I want to help us unstick from this present, apply a practical set of approaches to help our communities navigate the uncertainty ahead, and develop our agency for building hopeful futures. And provide a post-polycrisis narrative to inspire change-makers around the world who want to take collective, transformative action.
Future Signals – what we’re watching for in 2025
From Nesta…Our annual series about the trends and developments that are set to shape the coming year
The militia and the mole
by Joshua Kaplan in Propublica…A Freelance Vigilante: A wilderness survival trainer spent years undercover, climbing the ranks of right-wing militias. He didn’t tell police or the FBI. He didn’t tell his family or friends.
The turbulent world of resilience: 2 Interpretations and themes for transdisciplinary dialogue
by Susanne Moser, et al. in Climatic Change…In this paper we have tried to delineate – from a workshop and a literature review – fundamental
differences in perspective found across disciplinary and practical resilience discourses, differentiate these different perspectives, and then outline seven themes that are repeatedly discussed in the extant resilience discourse.
Zero-problem philanthropy
by Christian Seelos in SSIR…Moving away from endless problem-solving and toward creating healthy context.
Octavia Butler on creativity, the power of our obsessions, and how we become who we are
by Maria Popova in The Pocket…“Love quiets fear. And a sweet and powerful positive obsession blunts pain, diverts rage, and engages each of us in the greatest, the most intense of our chosen struggles.”
Strategy 2030 mid-term review and forecast
From IFRC Solferino Academy…As we reach the midpoint of Strategy 2030, we are entering a new humanitarian era. A complex mass of emerging trends is changing the world around us and affecting our ability to act…