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HOW THE SOCIO-ENVIRO-ECONOMIC SYSTEM HAS CHANGED OVER TIME
Huge amounts of Natural Capital have been converted into Financial Capital over the last 200 years!
Planetary boundaries are being exceeded, with virtually no effort to remediate Natural Capital
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These graphics were prepared around 2003.
The terms used have evolved since then:
(1) Human Capital is now referred to as Social Capital;
(2) Man Built Capital ... which includes Financial Capital ... is referred to as Economic Capital; and
(3) Natural Capital remains the same.
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For most of human history, the population has been quite small, the quality of life pretty harsh, and life expectancy quite short.
The Economic Capital quite small and not very productive
Natural Capital almost completely undisturbed
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Social Capital ... over time, population grew
Economic Capital growing and getting more productive
Impact on Nature Capital growing, but not doing much long term damage
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Social Capital ... Population continues to grow with top and bottom emerging
Economic Capital became bigger and more powerful
Impact on Natural Capital still not of much concern
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Social Capital ... Population growing and getting much better quality of life with upper, middle and lower classes
Economic Capital powerful and starting to degrade natural capital
Natural Capital starting to be seriously impacted by social and economic activity
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Social Capital ... population still growing and getting even better quality of life
Economic Capital very powerful but doing serious damage to Natural Capital
Natural Capital increasingly overwhelmed by social and economic activities
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EMERGING CRISIS
Natural Capital cannot support standard of living and people lose quality of life.
Economic activities have done major irreversible damage to Natural Capital.
Natural Capital serious degraded and depleted and unable to maintain stability.
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These graphics were prepared around 2003.
The terms used have evolved since then:
(1) Human Capital (HC) is now referred to as Social Capital;
(2) Man Built Capital (MBC) ... which includes Financial Capital ... is referred to as Economic Capital; and
(3) Natural Capital (NC) remains the same.
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THE ACTUAL PAST
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SOCIAL CAPITAL increased for a long time, but more slowly in recent past
NATURAL CAPITAL sustained improvement for a long while but now is being dangerously degraded
ECONOMIC CAPITAL increased but at the expense of dangerously degrading Natural Capital
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THE ACTUAL PAST ... PLUS A NO CHANGE FUTURE
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This is what the future will look like if we ignore the existential crisis associated with unlimited growth of people built systems ...
Continuing in this way is an existential risk. There is a growing consensus that massive changes are essential, but most change initiatives are far too little and too slow.
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THE ACTUAL PAST ... PLUS A BETTER FUTURE
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This is what we have to achieve in order to have a sustainable future with better quality of life and a sustaining environment.
A better way is possible. This requires a system that enables prosperity without growth and every process improved so that production does less environmental damage.
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