A renowned theorist is warning that humanity is at a critical junction, teetering between collapse and advancement. Dr. Nafeez Ahmed, a bestselling author and journalist, has published a paper in the journal Foresight, which highlights the risks of authoritarianism and the potential for a new, postmaterialist civilization based on distributed superabundant clean energy.
According to Ahmed, industrial civilization is facing an inevitable decline as it is replaced by a more advanced system. This could lead to derailment of humanity’s emergence into a new life-cycle, which would have catastrophic consequences. The main challenge is that the rapid decline of industrial civilization poses a significant threat to the emergence of this new system.
Ahmed identifies several factors that could jeopardize human civilization, including the increase in authoritarian politics and efforts to protect the fossil fuel industry, as well as a global decrease in energy return on investment. To mitigate these risks, he suggests investing in carefully-designed clean energy and new material capabilities, such as artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and lab-grown agriculture.
However, Ahmed warns that these emerging capabilities cannot be governed by old, centralized industrial hierarchies. Instead, a new system is needed to protect Earth systems. If we fail to evolve responsibly, these advancements could lead to our undoing.
Other experts also agree that the world is at a crossroads and that urgent action is needed to address climate change and other pressing issues. A recent study found that six of Earth’s nine planetary boundaries have been crossed, and research published earlier this year highlighted the importance of maintaining net zero emissions by 2100 to minimize the risk of climate tipping points.
The expert Dr. Nafeez Ahmed emphasizes the need for humanity to take responsibility for its actions and work towards a more sustainable future. The fate of human civilization hangs in the balance, and it is up to us to make a choice between collapse or advancement.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/end-world-know-theorist-warns-150030341.html