Qualicum Institute: Advocating a science-based understanding of ecological, social and economic survivability

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The global financial system operates like a cancer

The global financial system operates like a cancer The global financial system operates like a cancer, metastasizing throughout our economy and society. Its malignant core is a simple yet devastating formula: PL – PR + I,  principal loaned – principal repaid + interest = an escalating debt trap that necessitates economic growth. This equation is familiar to anyone who has taken out a loan. It demonstrates the fatal flaw in our financial architecture, which makes a steady state economy [the only sustainable economy] impossible by design.—Koenraad Priels https://steadystate.org/the-costs-of-compounding-exploitation-and-collapse/

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From the Club of Rome:  

From the Club of Rome “We recognise the important diplomatic milestones of the past 28 years of climate negotiations. A remarkable consensus has been achieved with over 195 countries having agreed to strive to hold global warming to 1.5°C. We also recognise the key role of the UNFCCC Secretariat in helping to bring all 195 countries along the steps necessary to establish the global policy framework, which is underpinned by the Paris Agreement and its subsequent COP decisions.” “Despite some of its flaws, and limited resources, the global policy framework is scientifically rigorous and economically sound and complete. But the framework alone is not enough to solve the problems.” Global emissions continue to increase, carbon sinks are being degraded and we can no longer exclude the possibility of surpassing 2.9°C of warming by 2100.” The suggested measures for COP reform include: Improve the selection process for COP presidencies Streamline for speed and scale Improve implementation and accountability Ensure robust tracking of climate financing Amplify the voice of authoritative science Recognise the interdependencies between poverty, inequality and planetary instability Enhance equitable representation Open Letter on COP reform to All States that are Parties to the Convention https://www.clubofrome.org/cop-reform-2024/?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=ce0ef0cd72-nature-briefing-daily-20241129&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b27a691814-ce0ef0cd72-498947137    

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Climate change: An existential threat, and yet…

Climate change: An existential threat Do you think Trudeau, Trump, or other world leaders are aware of the science behind this existential threat? “Modern humans and millions of other species face an unprecedented number of existential threats due to anthropogenic impacts exceeding our planet’s boundaries. We are in dangerous territory with instability in the known realms of biosphere integrity, land system change and novel entities such as plastics and synthetic toxins, climate change, freshwater change and biogeochemical flows. Considering the dynamic, closed and interconnected nature of Earth’s systems together, these threats pose an increasingly catastrophic risk to all complex life on Earth. Many scientists privately believe it to be already too late to avoid the tipping points that will trigger devastating and irreversible feedback loops. It is increasingly acknowledged that all of these threats are symptoms of anthropogenic ecological overshoot. Overshoot is defined as the human consumption of natural resources at rates faster than they can be replenished, and entropic waste production in excess of the Earth’s assimilative and processing capacity.” —Merz et al. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00368504231201372#body-ref-bibr1-00368504231201372

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Decoupling debunked

Decoupling debunked “The fact that decoupling on its own, i.e. without addressing the issue of economic growth, has not been and will not be sufficient to reduce environmental pressures to the required extent is not a reason to oppose decoupling (in the literal sense of separating the environmental pressures curve from the GDP curve) or the measures that achieve decoupling – on the contrary, without many such measures the situation would be far worse. It is a reason to have major concerns about the predominant focus of policymakers on green growth, this focus being based on the flawed assumption that sufficient decoupling can be achieved through increased efficiency without limiting economic production and consumption.   “Decoupling debunked: Evidence and argumentsagainst green growth as a sole strategy for sustainability. https://eeb.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Decoupling-Debunked.pdf

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Stop ecological overshoot caused by economic growth

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