In support of my poster, which reframes climate change as a consequence of accelerating civilizational throughput, I explored four key sources.
First, Hickel (2020) argues for planned degrowth — a reduction in material and energy throughput in high-income nations to restore ecological balance[1].
Second, Wiedmann et al. (2020) identify affluence as the main driver of environmental pressure, reinforcing that GDP growth itself, not just emissions, must be addressed[2].
Third, Parrique et al. (2019) critically review the idea of decoupling economic growth from environmental impacts, concluding that it is not occurring at sufficient speed or scale[3].
Most recently, Steffen et al. (2018) warn of self-reinforcing Earth system feedbacks — a “Hothouse Earth” trajectory triggered by the momentum of human activity. They emphasize that avoiding tipping points requires deliberate slowing of socio-economic systems[4].
Together, these works strengthen my core argument: emissions are symptoms, not root causes. The root is the velocity and scale of civilization, which must be intentionally slowed through systemic strategies like degrowth.
References
- Hickel, J. (2020). Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World. Penguin.
- 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
- Parrique, T. et al. (2019). Decoupling debunked: Evidence and arguments against green growth. European Environmental Bureau. https://eeb.org/library/decoupling-debunked/
- Steffen, W., Rockström, J., Richardson, K., et al. (2018). Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(33), 8252–8259. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1810141115