Limits and Beyond: 50 years on from The Limits to Growth, what did we learn and what’s next? Kindle Editionby Ugo Bardi (Author), Carlos Alvarez Pereira (Editor)
The Club of Rome commissioned a report that shifted how we see what humans are doing to the planet. Looking back five decades later, what happened next, what did we do and not do, what did we learn, and what happens now?
In The Limits to Growth, a team from MIT studied the way humans were using the resources of the earth. Using sophisticated computer modelling, the researchers developed scenarios to map out possible paths for humanity, the global economy and the impact on the planet.
Were their models right?
What did the rest of the world do about it?
Now, in 2022, the Club of Rome have brought two of the original authors from the 1972 book, Dennis Meadows and Jorgen Randers, along with an array of other world-renowned thinkers, scientists, analysts and economists from across the globe to answer these questions and grapple with the most acute issue of our time.
In the first section, “Echoes of a Great Book”, Ugo Bardi sets the scene with an in-depth examination of the original report and the effect it has had on how we might think about what humanity is doing to the world.
Jorgen Randers and Dennis Meadows then ask what the first book actually said and answer the most common questions that people ask about the book and progress since. Further explorations of the impact and consequences of the ground-breaking original book follow.
Next, in the “Still the Economy, But What Kind?” section, the contributors examine the economic ideas that have informed and arisen from The Limits to Growth in the following decades and critique those assumptions and notions. They ask what must change if we are to stay within the limits set by nature.
In the “New Lenses for a Different Future” section, thinkers from continents and cultures across the globe expand on their unique experiences of acting in and observing a world that may use all its resources before we wake up and act.
The “Did We Learn? Will We?” section ponders where we go from here. Has humanity taken in the lessons of The Limits to Growth? What have we learned in the meantime? And, most importantly, what can we do about it now?
Limits and Beyond: 50 years on from The Limits to Growth, what did we learn and what’s next? reaches back half a century to when the original report shook the world into realising that we live on a finite planet, brings it sharply up to date, and looks clear-eyed into the future.
Limits and Beyond focuses the mind on the pressing issues of sustainability, global economics, and ecology that global politics and institutions need to grapple with to ensure the survival of the human race.
Limits and Beyond is the book that will shape the conversation about our place on the earth for the next 50 years and beyond.
Can we save the planet and the human race? Buy Limits and Beyond to find out.
Join Brian Von Herzen (Climate Foundation), Paul Streifeneder (Pleistocene and Permafrost Foundation), Kim Bye Bruun (Northern Lights), Benjamin Taylor and Laura Griffiths (Red Quadrant) and others discussing one of humanity’s most pressing concerns: can we create a systemic approach to climate change mitigation through carbon capture? Panelists will look at diverse forms of carbon capture, from marine permaculture and forest regeneration to cutting-edge technologies and fast-paced carbon markets.
From ‘Me’ to ‘We’ — Lessons on leading as a systems activistTackling complex social problems requires you to act beyond the boundaries of your organisation to change the systems in which these problems are embedded. In this blog we share what we’ve learned about this difficult work and the behaviours and mindsets it requires.
If Systems Changes Learning offers a way of rethinking systems thinking, might it also offer a path towards rethinking designing?
About this event
Systems Changes Learning (SCL) is a body of work that offers an updated way of thinking about and responding to change. The three premises of SCL dramatically reposition how we look and understand changes: as rhythms over time that might shift, in accord with the natures of the systems involved.
What could we learn from mapping the SCL premises to designing? This presentation will explore the potential influence that Systems Changes Learning could have on designing and designers, in philosophies, in methods, and in practices.
As a core member of the SCL Circle, Zaid will extend the framing of “humility” – from his Major Research Project “Responding to Complexity with Humility” (2020) – as a lens through which to examine and explore new modes of designing.
Open-minded novices and learners are always welcomed. We’ll try to keep the conversations understandable by the layman, and entertain questions for clarification.
To be notified of future sessions, please join the Google Group: http://bit.ly/st-on
Urbanized knowledge syndrome—erosion of diversity and systems thinking in urbanites’ mental modelsPayam Aminpour, Steven A. Gray, Michael W. Beck, Kelsi L. Furman, Ismini Tsakiri, Rachel K. Gittman, Jonathan H. Grabowski, Jennifer Helgeson, Lauren Josephs, Matthias Ruth & Steven B. Scyphers npj Urban Sustainability volume 2, Article number: 11 (2022) Cite this article43 AltmetricMetricsdetailsAbstractCoastal ecosystems nearby human societies collectively shape complex social-ecological systems (SESs). These ecosystems support high levels of ecological biodiversity while providing resources and services to humans. However, shoreline armoring, land transformation, and urban homogenization across urbanized coastal areas may degrade natural ecosystems and alter how humans and nature are connected. We hypothesize that these alterations extend to residents’ knowledge of SESs. We explore evidence of such cognitive outcomes in graphical mental models of more than 1350 coastal residents across eight states in the Northeast United States. Our results revealed that, in more urbanized areas, residents’ mental models underrepresented complex interdependence between humans and natural components, indicating limited systems thinking. Additionally, urbanization and shoreline armoring were associated with homogenization of mental models. We refer to these results as Urbanized Knowledge Syndrome (UKS). Importantly, respondents with more symptoms of UKS were less likely to self-report adoption of pro-environmental behaviors. These results indicate a potential societal-level erosion of ecological knowledge associated with urbanization in the same way more urbanized areas are associated with diminishing ecological function. Thus, diagnosing and treating UKS is an essential component of urban sustainability.
Beyond the Bounds of your Organization: Systems Influencing & Why it Matters! 10 May 2022 | 15:00 – 16:00 CEST Virtual Problem solving session/thematic workshopTo use a systems led approach to drive your organisation’s strategy and approach to the HOW of what you do include wide listening, non-inear approach, multi-perspective teams with lived experiences, sharing beyond the bounds of your organisation and connections. Since poverty is a multidimensional problem, Dara Institute developed an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to promote health for the entire family. Learn about a comprehensive systems approach to addressing poverty in Brazil using the family action plans that involve the family with health education and improvement, family education, citizenship and engagement, housing improvements and family income. During the session, you will be asked to reflect on how your organisation is systems led and what is missing or needs to be changed to make your organisation be led by systems.
Last year, the Illuminate Network set out to help visualise the field of systems change practitioners by using affinity mapping to create relationships through systems change terms and language. You are here because you are on this map: https://lnkd.in/e_Xt7DiV (you were either nominated, or nominated yourself!) and this year, we are excited to be growing this map and holding several sense-making sessions on how this map can be a useful tool in the field.
We’ve created a LinkedIn group for everyone that is on the map to receive updates and/or give feedback.
If you’d like to add anyone to the map, remove yourself, or suggest terms that are not showing up, you can do so with this link: https://lnkd.in/eSsC6SQQ
Lastly, we are hosting a discussion at Catalysing Change week in May, 12 May 2022 | 19:30 – 20:30 CEST to open up a dialogue on how it might be used as an inquiry tool and what certain snapshots can say about the field. If you’d like to attend, please register here: https://lnkd.in/eAZJnYVe
The primary objective of this series is to provide evaluators with the capability to apply constructs from Complexity Science to evaluation practice. This objective is bookended with two others. The first is to give evaluators a broad conceptual understanding of Complexity. The other is to provide an appreciation of how Complexity can influence how we conceptualize pattern, predictability, and the reasons for change. Our intention is to accomplish the primary goal within each case that is presented. The “bookended” goals will be achieved over time, as readers see the relevance of complexity in multiple cases.
This series will present cases based on examples drawn from ongoing or recently concluded evaluations. Each installment will present the case and then discuss how that work might be expanded or reinterpreted if constructs from Complexity Science were applied. For the sake of exposition each case will include only a few…
INVITATION TO THE SYSTEMS THINKING STREAM AT OR64:
Since 2018, a team of us at the University of Hull (UK) and Linnaeus University (Sweden) have been organizing systems thinking streams at Operational Research (OR) Society annual conferences. They have consistently been the largest streams at these events, with 60+ presenters filling three parallel sessions. Some participants also contribute 1-3 hour interactive workshops.
The next conference is nicknamed OR64, and it will be held face-to-face at the University of Warwick (UK) on 13-15 September 2022. The deadline for abstracts is 30 June.
We really want you to come to this conference and be part of something special! I am inviting my extensive systems thinking research network, anticipating that a substantial portion of it will be able to come. I am also publicizing this on Facebook and Linked In. This is a great opportunity to meet 60+ other people who want to further the agenda of systems thinking in OR.
If you have not engaged with OR before, it’s worth knowing that it’s a profession that is embedded in decision making right across the public, private, voluntary and community sectors, so it offers an ideal pathway for the impact of systems ideas in dealing with issues that really matter for our organizations, communities and societies.
THE SYSTEMS THINKING STREAM
For presentations in the stream, we welcome the *widest possible diversity* of practitioners and academics, whatever specialism you bring.
We encourage the submission of abstracts discussing applications to (and across) organizational, social and environmental issues; theoretical and methodological innovations; thoughts on the diversity, impacts and ethics of systemic OR practice; and reflections on the past, present and future of systems thinking in OR. Indeed, any insightful presentation of relevance to systems thinking and OR is very welcome.
We have also been asked to look out for authors who can offer experiential workshops (e.g., giving practical experiences of using a systems approach). If you think your work would fit in this category, and can facilitate a workshop lasting between 1-3 hours, please let us know by email before uploading your abstract. You can write to sadaf.salavati@lnu.se
THE EVENT
The event is the 64th Annual Conference of the Operational Research Society (OR64). It will be held on 13-15 September 2022 at the University of Warwick. This is situated in the English Midlands, within easy reach of London by train.
there is no requirement to produce a written paper – just an abstract (maximum 300 words) describing your presentation, which will be published in the program. The closing date for abstracts is 30 June 2022. Please submit your abstract as soon as possible and then sort out the finances afterwards (the closing date for the reduced, early-bird conference fee is also 30 June).
Everything you need to know about the event (venue, travel arrangements, accommodation, price, critical dates, requirements of presenters, etc.) can be found on the conference web site, where you can also sign up and submit abstracts: https://theorsociety.eventsair.com/or64-annual-conference/ Much of the information is in clickable links in a narrow red band across the top of this page.
Please choose the Systems Thinking stream when you upload your abstract (if you don’t do this, you could find yourself somewhere else).
I urge you to participate if you possibly can, and I look forward to seeing you there. Please also invite others who you think will be interested, and feel free to re-use my message when you write to them. *Please share widely.*
CONTACTS
If you have questions about the systems thinking stream or your presentation (not the conference logistics), please contact Giles Hindle (giles.hindle@hull.ac.uk), Gerald Midgley (g.r.midgley@hull.ac.uk), Erdelina Kurti (erdelina.kurti@lnu.se) or Sadaf Salavati (sadaf.salavati@lnu.se).
For further information about the conference more broadly (including anything to do with costs, travel or accommodation), please contact event.enquiry@theorsociety.com
This is the end-April monthly events mailing from SCiO. Click on the flags or group titles below to go to the events that interest you. Please remember that you can attend online events organised by any of the SCiO groups if they are held in a language you speak/understand. Further details of events may be available by clicking on the event titles below and you can also book each event directly from the Book now text.
Note that the Belgian and Netherlands groups are both now holding live events, but most others remain online. A SCiO India group has recently been set up so watch this space for meetings (to be held in English).
Some groups post events quite late, so it is always worth checking the website – also for changes to dates and times. Please click here to see all the events in a browser.
Systems and Complexity in Organisation Ltd is a company registered in England with Company Number: 3499590 Registered address: Unit 18 Tower Street, Brunswick Business Park, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, L3 4BJ
Virtual Open Meeting: A series of presentations of general interest to Systems & Complexity in Organisation’s members and others. SCiO organises Open Meetings to provide opportunities for practitioners to learn and develop new practice, to build relationships, networks, hear about skills, tools, practice and experiences. This virtual session will be held on Zoom, the details of which will be confirmed nearer the time.
Mon 23 May 2022 18:30–20:00 GMT+1 “Later in the bar” is a SCiO UK networking event where we try to recapture some of the features of meeting in the bar after an open meeting. This is an opportunity to mingle freely (online) and set your own agenda. These social networking events are different from the open days (speakers and discussion) and member-only development days (each agenda slot filled set by members for learning discussions). Social networking events combine some initial small group work and provide completely open opportunities to mingle as individuals and groups. The format will vary slightly based on numbers. Please note that you will need to attend using a desktop computer (not a tablet or phone) to get the best experience.
SCiO’s Development Days offer an opportunity to draw upon the collective expertise of SCiO members in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. By taking Development Events online, using the Zoom meeting platform, we aim to make them accessible to more SCiO members Development Events are both for members who are just starting out on a journey to explore Systems Thinking approaches, and for those who have many years of exploration and practice.
Members only; FREE; Online event; English; Book now
SCiO Belgium SCiO is een netwerk van professionals in organisatie ontwikkeling en organisatie design, binnen en buiten het bedrijfsleven. De centrale doelstellingen zijn (1) het ontwikkelen van systeem praktijken, (2) kennis delen en schalen, (3) voorzien van ondersteuning. Deze sessie zal doorgaan van 19 tot 21u30. Details zullen gedeeld worden kort voor het event bij inschrijving. Gedurende 4 sessies zullen we een ‘deep dive’ nemen in het VSM. Meer info volgt snel (op deze link).
Kon. Astridlaan 144, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium – Members only, FREE, Dutch; Book now
Fri 17 June 2022 17:00 – Sat 18 June 2022 17:30 CET+1
Veranstaltung zu aktuellen Themen und Praxisbeispielen aus dem Bereich des System Thinking und der Managmentkybernetik. ● Get-together bei gemeinsamen Abendessen am Vorabend. ● Präsentation “System Laws”: allgemeine Beschreibung der “System Laws”, Aufgaben, Ziele und Charakteristika sowie mögliche Anwendungen gefolgt von einer offenen Diskussion im Anschluss. ● Bar Camp: Teilgeber können eigene Temen bzw. Vorträge präsentieren. Das Thema sollte sich an Systemansätzen und an deren praktischer Nutzung orientieren und so weit möglich Fragestellungen/Übungen für die anderen Teilnehmer beinhalten.
Karlstraße 4, 73433 Aalen, Germany; All welcome; 99-149 Euro, German Book now
SCiO España ha sido invotado a participar el la Catalysing Change Week junto a nuestros compañeros de SI Barcelona y Madrid para aportar nuestra perspectiva sobre el cambio sistémico y como el pensamiento sistémico puede aportar una aproximación más efectiva para enfrentarnos a problemas complejos como los que recoge los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible.
All welcome; FREE; Online event; Spanish; Book now
In het 2w kwartaal van 2022 gaan we als leden van SCIO-NL onderling in gesprek om helderder te krijgen wat we als leden van de vereniging verwachten en zouden willen krijgen.
Hagenweg 3c, Vianen, Netherlands; Members only; FREE; Dutch Book now
In het 2w kwartaal van 2022 gaan we als leden van SCIO-NL onderling in gesprek om helderder te krijgen wat we als leden van de vereniging verwachten en zouden willen krijgen.
Hagenweg 3c, Vianen, Netherlands; Members only; FREE; Dutch Book now
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