Abstract
Forces of environmental destruction are driving the Earth System beyond the safe planetary boundaries to such an extent that they are destroying our life support system, the biosphere. Our climate, soils, forests, freshwater, biodiversity and essential minerals are all threatened. Meanwhile, social injustice and inequality are splitting our societies. Rich countries and rich individuals have the greatest responsibility for unleashing these forces. If current trends continue, civilisation is unlikely to outlast the twenty-first century. Although time is of the essence, scenario studies suggest that it may still be possible to transition to a Sustainable Civilisation, without collapsing our current civilisation, but we must act now.
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Notes
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Diesendorf, M., Taylor, R. (2023). The Sustainability Crisis. In: The Path to a Sustainable Civilisation. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0663-5_2
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