We’re blind to our collective behaviour — If insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, then our approach to sustainability fits the bill. There is an assumption that all we need to do to create sustainable societies that mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis is to make slight changes…

It would require a radical transformation of how we do things — If we want to create sustainable societies where human needs are met within environmental limits, then we need to move to a post-growth economy. This is an argument made by a growing movement of people. One such idea is the concept of degrowth. In theory, the goal of a degrowth…

Tax havens exacerbate inequality and prevent millions from meeting basic needs — There’s a belief that if you tax the rich less, everyone wins. The belief seems counter-intuitive. If you tax those who earn the most less, won’t it increase inequality and result in more wealth filtering into the hands of the rich? Not according to trickle-down economics. Tax cuts will encourage…

Token gestures hide inconvenient truths — Formula 1 pits some of the brightest engineers against one another in a relentless technological race to eke out every last drop of performance, all in the pursuit of victory. The series is synonymous with speed, glamour, and powerful, combustion-fueled engines. It appears to represent a time we’re trying to…

Actions are constrained by possibilities — In its latest Emissions Gap Report, the UNEP concludes there is no credible pathway to achieving the 1.5°C target and climate disaster can only be avoided by an urgent system-wide transformation. This conclusion may come as a surprise seeing as more than 70 countries, including the biggest polluters — China…

The health of the economy depends on it — Looking through a microscope at yachts on a shoreline is the closest many will get to living the lives of the rich and famous. We can all grasp onto that dream, though, because in modern society, everyone is chasing the American Dream. That dream centres on the idea that individuals…

We’re in the midst of a climate emergency, and yet the rules of the game continue to go unquestioned — The claw machine is an arcade staple that’s as easy to play as it looks. You carefully manoeuvre the claw to a certain area, press the ‘go down’ button, and hope you’ve placed the claw in just the right area to win a prize. Just like the claw machine, our…

Just Stop Oil are seen as extremists who threaten our way of life, rather than offering solutions created by that way of life — It’s become as predictable as strawberries and cream. Just Stop Oil’s distinctive sprinkling of orange was used to disrupt the Wimbledon Championships. The reaction from the crowd was just as predictable as a chorus of boos rang out. The same can be said for the media, who focused entirely on…

High living standards present a profound moral dilemma — It’s all about the money. Fast cars, big houses, lavish lifestyles. Living your best life is consumerism on steroids. Such lifestyles, while glamorised by society at large, are clearly anything but sustainable. If we take things down a notch, Western lifestyles are associated with high incomes. High incomes translate into…