Evolution's Edge: The Coming Collapse and Transformation of Our WorldThe brink of catastrophe or the edge of evolution? The choice is ours. Gold-winner in the "Most Likely to Save the Planet" category of the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY). This brilliant book is a big-picture synthesis of the new curriculum for activists, educators, social and systems entrepreneurs, planners, and "community organizers" at all levels. Evolution's Edge is vital reading for activists, educators, progressive thinkers, and anyone concerned about the state of our world. A visually pleasing book, its generous use of graphs and charts make clear concepts such as our evolutionary footprint, projected climate change impacts, world populations and economic growth Evolution's Edge is simply outstanding - easy to read, inspiring, thoughtful. Its ability to integrate environmental challenges with spritiual issues, technological possibilites and systems evolutionary theory is fantastic. It is now five minutes to midnight on the doomsday clock, reflecting the fact that we are closer to assuring the obliteration of our species than we have been at any time since the early eighties. We are rapidly approaching a tipping point, where we will either transform our violent, exploitative global system into a peaceful, cooperative one, or enter a catastrophic decline. Evolution’s Edge shows that limitless economic expansion is impossible on a finite planet. Our growth-based global system will collapse as critical resources become scarce and major ecosystems fail. However, new ideas, values, and technologies can help us avoid disaster and create a better world. Using evolutionary systems theory, Evolution’s Edge explains how societies evolve and why rapid, nonlinear change is not only possible but inevitable. It describes:
Evolution’s Edge is a practical guide to a sustainable future and is vital reading for activists, educators, progressive thinkers, and anyone concerned about the state of our world. Graeme Taylor is a social activist committed to constructive global transformation and the coordinator of BEST Futures, a project supporting sustainable solutions through researching how societies change and evolve. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 11 | |
| 13 | |
2 Growing Global Crises | 29 |
3 The Unsustainable Global Culture | 63 |
4 The Need for a New Model | 87 |
5 Cascading Crises and System Failure | 103 |
Transformationthe emerging trend | 115 |
8 Transformative Ideas and Social Movements | 155 |
9 Constructive and Destructive Responses to Crises | 175 |
10 Future Scenarios | 189 |
11 The Design of a Flourishing Earth Community | 213 |
12 Tools for Transformation | 225 |
Endnotes | 243 |
| 291 | |
About the Author and Illustlrator | 307 |
6 Sustaining Development or Developing Sustainability? | 117 |
7 Transformative Material Technologies | 129 |
Other editions - View all
Evolution's Edge: The Coming Collapse and Transformation of Our World Graeme Taylor No preview available - 2008 |