Scaling Climate Change to Civilizational Acceleration
Main Message:
We often frame climate change around carbon emissions. But what if the real issue is the pace at which human civilization expands—economically, materially, and infrastructurally? Over the past 400 years, civilization has entered a phase of exponential acceleration. This is reflected in rising GDP, faster technological turnover, increased energy use, and urban expansion. Emissions are a byproduct of this deeper dynamic: the scaling speed of human activity.
To stabilize the climate, it is not enough to decarbonize fast growth—we must also slow down growth itself. This is where the degrowth strategy comes in.
Specific Strategy: Degrowth
Degrowth proposes planned reductions in energy and material throughput, especially in high-income nations. It includes:
- Capping resource extraction and emissions.
- Shortening work hours and encouraging low-impact lifestyles.
- Redirecting investments from fossil-heavy infrastructure to public goods and care work.
- This is not about recession—it’s a restructuring of economies for ecological balance and social well-being [1].
Why It Matters:
Degrowth directly targets the root pace of environmental pressure. It aligns with IPCC equity principles and supports climate mitigation without rebound effects [2].
References
- Hickel, J. (2020). Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World. Penguin Random House.
- Wiedmann, T., Lenzen, M., Keyßer, L.T., & Steinberger, J.K. (2020). Scientists’ warning on affluence. Nature Communications, 11, 3107. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16941-y
- Kallis, G. (2011). In defence of degrowth. Ecological Economics, 70(5), 873–880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.12.007
Thank you for the interesting idea. However, I feel that the topic is a too broad philosophical question. We specified the poster task (slides 2nd course day) as : “Select one specific strategy of adapting to or of mitigating global change (e.g., a regulatory intervention, specific consumer behavior, a nature-based solution)”. I do not see that you chose such a SPECIFIC strategy. I recommend that you choose a topic that is easier to address in a poster (with limited space) than your rather philosophical idea.
Regarding writing style: I do not understand what you mean with your last sentence. What does “scaling .it to … the velocity of human civilization” actually mean?
Thank you Lars for the feedback. You are absolutely right that my initial post was more conceptual and broad. I have now revised the poster to focus on a specific strategy: degrowth, which directly addresses the issue of civilizational acceleration. I aim to present degrowth not just as an economic idea, but as a concrete mitigation strategy that slows material throughput and reduces emissions systemically.
It needs to be spelled out what this contribution means by “runaway scaling” and “how fast we’re expanding”, and “velocity” – what do these metaphors exactly mean? Who is the “we”, and is it a homogenous actor? Please also add some literature to ground this idea in some existing research.
Thank you, Simone. I have clarified the metaphors and now define “civilizational velocity” in terms of GDP growth, infrastructure expansion, and throughput acceleration. I have also specified “we” as policymakers, scientists, and citizens shaping climate responses.