In addition to my writings on the Anthropocene, climate change, biophysical limits, depletion of raw materials, massive extinction of species, etc., there is a major issue that is happening right under our nose: socio-economic disparities weaken the resilience of our cities. Stretching the boundaries of my knowledge on economics and social science I dare to state that resilience can only remain useful as a concept and as progressive practice, if social dimensions are taken into account. Social-economic exclusion, disparities, inequality etc and the resulting poverty, are complex problems that manifests themselves in many different areas of life, are multidimensional and…
Ecosystems, species, wild populations, local varieties and breeds of domesticated plants and animals are shrinking, deteriorating or vanishing. The essential, interconnected web of life on Earth is getting smaller and increasingly frayed. This loss is a direct result of human activity and constitutes a direct threat to human well-being in all regions of the world. Once we're over the threshold...you're dealing with how the Earth works, and it goes on its own ride. CURRENT GLOBAL RESPONSE INSUFFICIENT; TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGES NEEDED Human activities are transforming Earth’s atmosphere, ocean and land surfaces at a scale and magnitude not previously seen during the…
The replacement of natural processes with synthetic ones indicates a world that is becoming increasingly more pliant and malleable. By deliberately tinkering with some of the planet’s most physical and biological operations, humans stand on the verge of turning a world that was found into a world that is made. Moreover, the new technologies driving this new epoch will not only transform how the planet looks but will drastically alter how the planet works too. In this era of the Anthropocene, humanity is rapidly altering our ecosystems and outpacing existing rates of evolution and adaptation for many organisms. Our species’…
De mens als kracht van geologische proporties Het grootste deel van de aardse biosfeer, met inbegrip van de biodiversiteit en ecosysteemdiensten- en processen, is nu definitief omgevormd door de directe interactie tussen mens en ecosystemen. Het earth system is een delicaat samenspel tussen verschillende sferen en bepaalt de voorwaarden voor het leven op aarde. Een antropogene transformatie van de terrestrische biosfeer is in essentie ingrijpend en permanent. Weinig poëtisch, maar je kan zeggen dat één enkele soort, die woekert als onkruid, onbewust het vermogen verwierf om haar eigen lot en dat van alle andere soorten op deze planeet rechtstreeks te…
