Olivia Lazard, an expert in collective security, joins to discuss the urgent need for global collaboration in the face of planetary crises. They delve into the complexities of the Anthropocene, legacy systems of extraction, dematerialization of economies, and the balance of power tipping our planet into crisis.
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Quick takeaways
Global collaboration is essential for planetary survival amidst environmental crises.
Violence escalates with each step of the Anthropocene, posing security risks in a resource-scarce world.
Reorganizing supply chains can promote sustainability and contribute to collective security and climate resilience.
Deep dives
Human Development and Technological Vessels
The podcast episode explores the possibility of transitioning into a new era of human development through technological advancements. It questions the impact of hitting biophysical boundaries on our interactions and the cultivation of humanity. Discussing the implications for complex political systems and the way we perceive humanity's essence and relationships.
Anthropocene Epoch Divisions
The episode delves into the history of the Anthropocene and its four distinct phases. Starting from the agricultural revolution, through colonial expansion and the industrial revolution, culminating in the nuclear age. It uncovers how each step amplified violence and innovation, leading to the current era of digitalization and energy transition with looming security risks.
Dematerialization, AI, and Geoengineering
The conversation expands to dematerialization trends alongside artificial intelligence integration into existing systems. It highlights the misperception of achieving dematerialization through digitalization and the energy transition, emphasizing the continued reliance on extensive material and energy resources. Furthermore, it critically examines the overlooked ecological costs of geoengineering technologies and the need for holistic understanding in climate action strategies.
The Impact of AI on Progress and Resource Efficiency
AI applications are mainly focused on enhancing resource efficiency in different sectors like hospitals, rather than initiating a transformative conversation on societal and environmental changes. The concern raised is that the current technological advancements are leading to an intensified competitive environment and a race towards the best and most transformative technologies, lacking safeguards and considerations for how these technologies will be utilized, potentially resulting in resource scrambling and violence due to a limited planetary carrying capacity.
Redesigning Supply Chains for Climate-Safe Future
Reorganizing supply chains, especially in countries like Namibia and Chile, presents an opportunity to move beyond economic gains towards a more sustainable approach that considers regeneration and regional specialization. By looking beyond mere extraction and economic diversification, countries can focus on developing comprehensive strategies that incorporate climate security, resilience, and socio-economic equality. This shift in supply chain redesign can not only mitigate environmental impacts but also contribute to fostering collective security and a climate-safe future.
We’re breaking all kinds of records at the moment: cities are boiling at 62C, ocean temperatures are literally off the charts, and governments have increased the global defence budget to an alarming $2440 billion.
War costs life, and not just human life. The environmental impacts of war are colossal, with one study already showing that the first few months of Israel’s assault on Gaza emitted more carbon dioxide than 20 climate-vulnerable nations do in one year. Our ecosystems are at their breaking point, with six of nine planetary boundaries crossed. We need global collaboration to commit the huge systems overhaul necessary to survive the planetary crises and mitigate the catastrophic decisions of the last centuries.
Olivia Lazard, research fellow at Carnegie Europe, joins me to discuss just how complex that task is, detailing the five steps of the Anthropocene and how violence increases at each step. We discuss these legacy systems of extraction and violence and how they are embedded into decisions being made around A.I., creating security risks in a resource-scarce world. We also cover the dematerialisation of our economies, the myths that blind us to energy and materials, before discussing the balance of power tipping our planet and human systems further into crisis.
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