image missing
HOME SN-BRIEFS SYSTEM
OVERVIEW
EFFECTIVE
MANAGEMENT
PROGRESS
PERFORMANCE
PROBLEMS
POSSIBILITIES
STATE
CAPITALS
FLOW
ACTIVITIES
FLOW
ACTORS
PETER
BURGESS
SiteNav SitNav (0) SitNav (1) SitNav (2) SitNav (3) SitNav (4) SitNav (5) SitNav (6) SitNav (7) SitNav (8)
Date: 2024-10-13 Page is: DBtxt001.php L0700-PP-SEES-changes-over-time
PROGRESS and PERFORMANCE
CHANGES OVER TIME
for the SOCIO-ENVIRO-ECONOMIC SYSTEM (SEES)
The way the 3 segments of the system have changed over time
.
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
.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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.

CHANGES OVER TIME
FOR THE CAPITALS OF THE SYSTEM
GO TOP
.
MEASURE PROGRESS FOR ALL THE CAPITALS
Economic Capital UP but Natural Capital DOWN
Consider these trends in SOCIO / ENVIRO / ECONOMIC STATE state over time
THE ACTUAL PAST PLUS a NO CHANGE FUTURE PLUS a BETTER FUTURE
SOCIAL CAPITAL and ECONOMIC CAPITAL have increased but NATURAL CAPITAL has been dangerously degraded. SOCIAL CAPITAL has been compromised by increasing inequality. 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. 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
More and more DEPLETION and DEGRADATION of NATURAL CAPITAL is UNSUSTAINABLE
.
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.
.
THE ACTUAL PAST
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
.
THE ACTUAL PAST ... PLUS A NO CHANGE FUTURE
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.
.
THE ACTUAL PAST ... PLUS A BETTER FUTURE
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.
.

HOW THE THREE SEGMENTS OF THE SOCIO-ENVIRO-ECONOMIC SYSTEM HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME
Huge amounts of Natural Capital have been converted to create Financial Capital in the last 200 years!
Planetary boundaries are being exceeded, with only modest efforts to remediate Natural Capital
A series of images that describe the way the 3 segments of the system have changed over time

A simple series that shows how the relative scale of the three main segments of the socio-enviro-economic system have changed over time, until now when we have the risk of existential collapse of the system Open L0700-SEES-changes-over-time

.
THE MACRO TRENDS ARE CATASTROPHIC
ACCOUNTING FOR SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND NATURAL CAPITALS
COLOR CODE DISTANT PAST PRESENT NOT GOOD FUTURE COLLAPSE
These are the aggregated Socio-Enviro-Economic Trends
What has been happening and what needs to happen to have a better future
THE WHOLE SYSTEM THE ACTUAL PAST A NO CHANGE FUTURE A BETTER FUTURE
More and more DEPLETION and DEGRADATION
of NATURAL CAPITAL is UNSUSTAINABLE
  • ECONOMIC CAPITAL has increase substantially over decades because there have been productivity increases.
  • At the same time there has been a massive increase in inequality that has compromised SOCIAL CAPITAL.
  • There has been dangerous degradation of NATURAL CAPITAL. There is an almost universal scientific consensus that massive changes are essential.
What science shows is that nature is the foundation for everything. Most of the time there is a complex natural balance or equilibrium, but periodically it gets out of balance and many changes take place very rapidly until another equilibrium is found. Because of humankind's economic activity we have arrived at a tipping point and the equilibrium has been disturbed. It is impossible to predict what future the changes will be .,.. but we do know that there will be massive change and it is unlikly that humankind will have the capacity to do very much about it. BE WARNED! GDP growth will aggravate this crisis, not solve it, but smart policy and technological investment and deployment might mitigate the problem significantly. Inaction is criminal.



The text being discussed is available at
SITE COUNT<
Amazing and shiny stats
Blog Counters Reset to zero January 20, 2015
TrueValueMetrics (TVM) is an Open Source / Open Knowledge initiative. It has been funded by family and friends. TVM is a 'big idea' that has the potential to be a game changer. The goal is for it to remain an open access initiative.
WE WANT TO MAINTAIN AN OPEN KNOWLEDGE MODEL
A MODEST DONATION WILL HELP MAKE THAT HAPPEN
The information on this website may only be used for socio-enviro-economic performance analysis, education and limited low profit purposes
Copyright © 2005-2021 Peter Burgess. All rights reserved.