2023-12-25 13:00:00
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And new study from Stockholm University, addresses the idea of ”evolutionary traps” in the human and global context. They identify themselves 14 traps that challenge global sustainability and are categorized into global, technological and structural traps. The analysis reveals that 12 of these traps could be in an advanced stagewith increasing risks of negative impacts on human well-being.
The study uses a participatory approach and analyzes the interactions, progression and severity of these traps, proposing important capabilities to navigate these systemic challenges towards global sustainability.
POLYCRISIS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE
He Anthropocene is a term proposed to refer to a new geological epoch, characterized by the significant and global impact of human activities on terrestrial ecosystems and geological processes. In this era, which is the present, everything is connected to everything in a much more complex way than in the past, which encourages the calls policrisis.
This term captures the idea that current crises do not occur in isolation, but are intertwined, and their combined effects can amplify each other, creating more challenging and difficult to manage scenarios.
In the current context of globally connected systems, multiple interconnected crises arise in ecological, social, economic and technological spheres. This raises the question of whether humans are on the verge of, or have already entered, an undesirable trajectory with persistent crises and increasing negative impacts on human well-being.
According to the study cited, there are 14 of these interconnected problems, called “traps”, classified as global, technological and structural. 12 of these traps (86%) could be in an advanced phase, with high risk of blockages that are difficult to reverse and increasing negative impacts on human well-being. Furthermore, a growing trend is observed in 10 of them (71%).
These pitfalls include climate change, biodiversity loss, economic inequalities, and dependence on unsustainable technologies, among others. The interconnection of these traps creates a “polycrisis” that requires an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to its resolution.
THE TRAPS
According to the study, the traps we face in the Anthropocene are the following:
Global Traps:
Simplification: processes that lead to more simplified and vulnerable systems.Growth for growth’s sake: the search for economic growth at the expense of well-being.Override: material growth that exceeds the limits of the Earth system’s tipping points.Division: Unstable selection for global human cooperation increases the risk of international conflict.Infection: Global connectivity increases the risk of large-scale infections, such as infectious diseases.
Technological Traps:
Infrastructure blockade: complex material infrastructures that become maladaptive, such as expensive fixed investments.Existential technology: arms races that drive the development of technologies with the potential for mass extermination.Technological autonomy: Reliance on automation can backfire if systems do not align with human needs.Disinformation and bad information: Digitalization can amplify the spread of misinformation, destabilizing democracies.
Structural Traps:
Cortoplacismo: The preference for short-term benefits reinforces other traps and promotes conflict.Overconsumption: the separation of production and consumption facilitates excessive consumption.Disconnection from the biosphere: The separation of human settlements and ecosystems reduces awareness of their benefits.Loss of local social capital: Digitalization can lead to the loss of local social capital through reduced interaction and echo chambers.
The most worrying traps identified in the study are global division, short-termism, overconsumption and technological autonomy. These traps stand out due to their ability to generate eight amplifying interactions, implying that addressing any of them could help alleviate several of the other identified traps.
STRATEGIES AND CHALLENGES
The study proposes a framework to address these pitfalls, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation, sustainable policy innovation, and citizen participation. It recognizes that overcoming these traps requires a profound change in economic development models, consumption patterns, and public policies. Besides, highlights the need to strengthen education and public awareness about environmental and social challenges.
Finally, the report calls for collective action, urging governments, international organizations, the scientific community, and society in general to come together to confront these evolutionary traps. It also underlines the urgency of adopting a holistic approach that considers the health of the planet and human well-being as indivisible objectives, and proposes the creation of new alliances and collaboration platforms to promote innovative and sustainable solutions.
These analyzes are a forceful reminder of the risks facing humanity and a manual for navigating towards a more sustainable and resilient future. The evolutionary traps described in the study are not mere warnings, but tangible realities that require bold and transformative responses. The future of the human species, including the terrestrial ecosystem itself, depends on it.
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