13
Dec
2018
A new context for research after sustainability
with Cyrille Médard de Chardon (LISER)
01:00 pm
02:00 pm
For inquiries:
seminars@liser.lu

Abstract

Existing goals of sustainability grossly understate the societal changes, in terms of transportation, consumption, and social interaction, required to prevent a catastrophic destruction of civilization as we define it. While hybrid or electric cars may be more sustainable than conventional cars, there exists no future where such resource allocations can be sustained or expanded beyond the privileged. While injustice is already present, constraint in resources and the concentration of power and wealth are increasing. In this presentation I’ll outline how sustainability has been co-opted for economic gain without providing the necessary changes to prevent societal collapse. I’ll present the five criteria (MacKay, 2017) preventing societal change (dissociation, complexity, stratification, overshoot and oligarchy), discuss what is needed for a transition to a more desirable, but inevitable, post-carbon economy, and suggest how we can raise awareness of the coming challenges within our research domains, before opening a discussion as to what future we believe we are headed towards.

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