Paradigm Shifts: The realization of the current predicament should be motivating us to effective action. Yet even those who are aware of the gravity of the situation seem to have difficulty mobilizing into a massive and effective movement for global change. When people point to apathy and denial in the mainstream they often overlook the many ways in which apathy manifests within them. Our genetic disposition causes us to be complacent in the face of subtle changes, such as global climate change and the depletion and degradation of environmental systems. However in times of rapid chaotic change, we can be quite adaptive because our survival is at stake. However, human history seems to tell us that this is often much too little and way too late.
Albert Einstein once said “It is impossible to solve a problem with the same means that caused this problem.” Max Planck, a physicist, said “A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing the advocates of the old truth and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die out and a new generation grows up familiar with it.” Herman Scheer says “civilization faces a turning point, because we are at the borderline of the present global energy system…(Hermann Scheer System in Flux)”
Point of Inflection: Once we reach the point of chaotic ecological/climate change, the window may already be closed. With extreme weather becoming an increasingly common occurrence I think the probability is high that we are already seeing the beginning of this period of intense upheaval of planetary systems and the closing of the window for change. Jim Fournier of Planetwork refers to this window as the point of inflection. His optimistic view is based on the assumption that these changes are systemic, that is they are beyond the actions of any one individual. This does not means that we should just rest easy and wait for the necessary changes to manifest. Through our actions that we birth the paradigm shift that will power us through the point of inflection. The point of inflection is not simply a place where a quantitative change manifests, it is a point of an intense concentration of metaphysical energy, where reality becomes warped and then inverted and social trends towards increased consumption not only stabilize but eventually decline, in synch with global patterns of ecological contraction and global climate change. Even if we were to achieve rapid reductions, “factor 4” (say 50%) in consumption and emissions in ten years (and this would be a most dramatic achievement), and in the next 20 years achieve "factor 10" reductions, this might not be enough. There is a high possibility that the damage already inflicted on the environment will cause carrying capacity to be reduced faster than any possible or feasible effort to reduce consumption.