Premium
Bright spots: seeds of a good Anthropocene
Author(s) -
Bennett Elena M,
Solan Martin,
Biggs Reinette,
McPhearson Timon,
Norström Albert V,
Olsson Per,
Pereira Laura,
Peterson Garry D,
RaudseppHearne Ciara,
Biermann Frank,
Carpenter Stephen R,
Ellis Erle C,
Hichert Tanja,
Galaz Victor,
Lahsen Myanna,
Milkoreit Manjana,
Martin López Berta,
Nicholas Kimberly A,
Preiser Rika,
Vince Gaia,
Vervoort Joost M,
Xu Jianchu
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1002/fee.1309
Subject(s) - anthropocene , dystopia , vision , transformative learning , environmental ethics , dominance (genetics) , sociology , political science , biology , law , philosophy , pedagogy , biochemistry , anthropology , gene
The scale, rate, and intensity of humans’ environmental impact has engendered broad discussion about how to find plausible pathways of development that hold the most promise for fostering a better future in the Anthropocene. However, the dominance of dystopian visions of irreversible environmental degradation and societal collapse, along with overly optimistic utopias and business‐as‐usual scenarios that lack insight and innovation, frustrate progress. Here, we present a novel approach to thinking about the future that builds on experiences drawn from a diversity of practices, worldviews, values, and regions that could accelerate the adoption of pathways to transformative change (change that goes beyond incremental improvements). Using an analysis of 100 initiatives, or “seeds of a good Anthropocene”, we find that emphasizing hopeful elements of existing practice offers the opportunity to: (1) understand the values and features that constitute a good Anthropocene, (2) determine the processes that lead to the emergence and growth of initiatives that fundamentally change human–environmental relationships, and (3) generate creative, bottom‐up scenarios that feature well‐articulated pathways toward a more positive future.