Disarray in global governance and climate change chaos / Desordem na governança global e o caos nas mudanças climáticas / Desorden en la gobernanza global y el caos en el cambio climático

Scientists warn that human activity in the Anthropocene is causing the transgression of several planetary boundaries. The population/environment/development equation has become insoluble. This paper reviews the trajectory of climate change and discusses the shortcomings of ongoing efforts to address it. It analyzes the current crisis in global governance, fostered by widespread disenchantment with globalization, and reflects on the risks that the resulting political imbroglio presents for our environmental future. Global responses are ineffective due to crumbling multilaterism and the continuing promotion of unsustainable economic growth based on consumerism. Discontent with the consequences of globalization has destabilized national governance and, in the process, further corroded prospects for effective global governance in facing symbiotic social, political and environmental crises. Frustration with globalization is providing media populists a platform from which to attract voters with naive schemes that highlight climate change denial. Potential pathways and obstacles for multilateralism in efforts to resolve the current crisis are blurred. Blind faith in technology, negationism, and the pervasiveness of the consumer culture further hamper awareness raising. Unfortunately, voters, institutions and policies may only adjust when the intensification of climate disasters forces a sea change in outlook.

Os cientistas alertam para o fato de que a atividade humana no Antropoceno está provocando a transgressão de vários limites planetários. A equação população, meio ambiente e desenvolvimento ficou insolúvel. Este artigo revisa a trajetória das mudanças climáticas, discute as limitações dos esforços atuais para lidar com elas e analisa a atual crise na governança global, além de refletir sobre os riscos que esse imbróglio político apresenta para o nosso futuro ambiental. As respostas globais são ineficazes devido à deterioração do multilaterismo e à promoção generalizada do crescimento econômico insustentável baseado no consumismo. O descontentamento com as consequências da globalização desestabilizou a governança nacional e, no processo, corroeu ainda mais as perspectivas de uma governança global eficaz para enfrentar crises sociais, políticas e ambientais simbióticas. A frustração com a globalização está proporcionando aos populistas uma plataforma para atrair eleitores com esquemas ingênuos que incluem o negacionismo. Ao mesmo tempo, uma nova divisão do poder econômico, político e científico está surgindo com a Belt and Road Initiative da China. Discutem-se caminhos potenciais e obstáculos para o multilaterismo na tentativa de resolver esse dilema. A fé cega na tecnologia, o negacionismo e a difusão da cultura de consumo dificultam os esforços multilaterais contra as ameaças ambientais. Infelizmente, parece que eleitores, instituições e políticas só se ajustarão depois que a intensificação dos desastres climáticos forçar uma mudança radical de mentalidade.

Los científicos advierten que la actividad humana en el Antropoceno está provocando la transgresión de varios límites planetarios. La ecuación población, medio ambiente y desarrollo ha quedado insoluble. Este artículo revisa la trayectoria del cambio climático y discute las limitaciones de los esfuerzos actuales para lidiar con él. Analiza también la actual crisis en la gobernanza global y el desencanto generalizado que despierta y reflexiona sobre los riesgos que ese embrollo político presenta para nuestro futuro ambiental. Las respuestas globales son ineficaces debido al deterioro del multilaterismo y a la promoción continua del crecimiento económico insostenible basado en el consumismo. El descontento con las consecuencias de la globalización ha desestabilizado la gobernanza nacional y, en el proceso, ha corroído aún más las perspectivas de una gobernanza global eficaz para enfrentar crisis sociales, políticas y ambientales simbióticas. La frustración con las consecuencias de la globalización proporciona a los populistas una plataforma para atraer electores con esquemas ingenuos que incluyen la negación del cambio climático. Al mismo tiempo, surge una nueva división de poder económico, político e científico en torno de la Iniciativa Belt and Road de China. Se discuten caminos potenciales y obstáculos para el multilaterismo en el intento de resolver eses dilemas. La fe ciega en la tecnología, el negacionismo y la omnipresencia de la cultura de consumo dificultan la escalada necesaria de esfuerzos multilaterales. Desafortunadamente, votantes, instituciones y políticas solo se ajustarán cuando la intensificación de los desastres climáticos provocar un cambio radical de mentalidad.

La economía del dónut: siete formas de pensar como un economista para el siglo xxi

En su libro Kate Raworth invita al lector a reflexionar sobre la pertinencia del paradigma económico dominante en el contexto de un planeta que muestra señales de agotamiento ecológico y ambiental. No se trata de un simple debate teórico; los datos empíricos indican que el capitalismo actual no es sostenible. Por medio del uso de la metáfora de una Dónut, la economista propone un cambio de la meta de crecimiento económico perpetuo en el cual se fundamenta el futuro de las sociedades. Es importante reemplazar el lenguaje de 'lo bueno es ir hacia adelante o hacia arriba' por uno que privilegie la búsqueda del equilibrio entre las necesidades humanas y los límites planetarios la Tierra.

Kate Raworth's book invites the reader to reflect on the relevance of the dominant economic paradigm in the context of a planet that suffers from ecological and environmental exhaustion. The implications of that debate are not solely theoretical; empirical data shows that contemporary capitalism is not sustainable. By introducing the metaphor of the doughnut, the economist suggests a shift in the goal of perpetual economic growth on which the future of societies is based. It is important to replace the language from 'good is forward-and-up' to 'good is in-balance' between human needs and the earthly limits of the Earth.

Integration of ecological-biological thresholds in conservation decision making.

In the Anthropocene, coupled human and natural systems dominate and only a few natural systems remain relatively unaffected by human influence. On the one hand, conservation criteria based on areas of minimal human impact are not relevant to much of the biosphere. On the other hand, conservation criteria based on economic factors are problematic with respect to their ability to arrive at operational indicators of well-being that can be applied in practice over multiple generations. Coupled human and natural systems are subject to economic development which, under current management structures, tends to affect natural systems and cross planetary boundaries. Hence, designing and applying conservation criteria applicable in real-world systems where human and natural systems need to interact and sustainably coexist is essential. By recognizing the criticality of satisfying basic needs as well as the great uncertainty over the needs and preferences of future generations, we sought to incorporate conservation criteria based on minimal human impact into economic evaluation. These criteria require the conservation of environmental conditions such that the opportunity for intergenerational welfare optimization is maintained. Toward this end, we propose the integration of ecological-biological thresholds into decision making and use as an example the planetary-boundaries approach. Both conservation scientists and economists must be involved in defining operational ecological-biological thresholds that can be incorporated into economic thinking and reflect the objectives of conservation, sustainability, and intergenerational welfare optimization.