From: lessgovt@gmail.com   
      
   World scientists’ warning: The behavioural crisis driving ecological   
   overshoot   
   Joseph J Merz, Phoebe Barnard, […], and Rory Sutherland+8   
   ABSTRACT   
   Previously, anthropogenic ecological overshoot has been identified as a   
   fundamental cause of the myriad symptoms we see around the globe today from   
   biodiversity loss and ocean acidification to the disturbing rise in novel   
   entities and climate change. In    
   the present paper, we have examined this more deeply, and explore the   
   behavioural drivers of overshoot, providing evidence that overshoot is itself   
   a symptom of a deeper, more subversive modern crisis of human behaviour. We   
   work to name and frame this    
   crisis as ‘the Human Behavioural Crisis’ and propose the crisis be   
   recognised globally as a critical intervention point for tackling ecological   
   overshoot. We demonstrate how current interventions are largely physical,   
   resource intensive, slow-moving    
   and focused on addressing the symptoms of ecological overshoot (such as   
   climate change) rather than the distal cause (maladaptive behaviours). We   
   argue that even in the best-case scenarios, symptom-level interventions are   
   unlikely to avoid catastrophe or    
   achieve more than ephemeral progress. We explore three drivers of the   
   behavioural crisis in depth: economic growth; marketing; and pronatalism.   
   These three drivers directly impact the three ‘levers’ of overshoot:   
   consumption, waste and population. We    
   demonstrate how the maladaptive behaviours of overshoot stemming from these   
   three drivers have been catalysed and perpetuated by the intentional   
   exploitation of previously adaptive human impulses. In the final sections of   
   this paper, we propose an    
   interdisciplinary emergency response to the behavioural crisis by, amongst   
   other things, the shifting of social norms relating to reproduction,   
   consumption and waste. We seek to highlight a critical disconnect that is an   
   ongoing societal gulf in    
   communication between those that know such as scientists working within limits   
   to growth, and those members of the citizenry, largely influenced by social   
   scientists and industry, that must act.   
   For Will Steffen (1947–2023), one of the kindest advocates for our planet in   
   a time of crisis.   
   â€˜The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and   
   opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those   
   who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible   
   government which is the true    
   ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes   
   formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of’.   
   â€“ Edward Bernays, Propaganda, 1928   
   â€˜A species causing the extinction of 150 species per day doesn’t need more   
   energy to do more of what it does’.   
   â€“ Hart Hagan, Environmental journalist   
      
   INTRODUCTION   
   Modern humans and millions of other species face an unprecedented number of   
   existential threats due to anthropogenic impacts exceeding our planet's   
   boundaries.1 We are in dangerous territory with instability in the known   
   realms of biosphere integrity,    
   land system change and novel entities such as plastics and synthetic toxins,   
   climate change, freshwater change and biogeochemical flows.   
   Considering the dynamic, closed and interconnected nature of Earth's systems   
   together, these threats pose an increasingly catastrophic risk to all complex   
   life on Earth. Many scientists privately believe it to be already too late to   
   avoid the tipping    
   points that will trigger devastating and irreversible feedback loops.2   
   It is increasingly acknowledged that all of these threats are symptoms of   
   anthropogenic ecological overshoot. Overshoot is defined as the human   
   consumption of natural resources at rates faster than they can be replenished,   
   and entropic waste production    
   in excess of the Earth's assimilative and processing capacity.3–7   
   In this paper, we explore the behavioural drivers of overshoot, providing   
   evidence that overshoot is itself a symptom of a deeper, more subversive   
   modern crisis of human behaviour. We work to name and frame this crisis as   
   â€˜the Human Behavioural Crisis†  
   ™ and propose the crisis be recognised globally as a critical intervention   
   point for tackling ecological overshoot. We demonstrate how current   
   interventions are largely physical, resource intensive, slow-moving and   
   focused on addressing the symptoms of    
   ecological overshoot (such as climate change) rather than the distal cause   
   (maladaptive behaviours). We argue that even in the best-case scenarios,   
   symptom-level interventions are unlikely to avoid catastrophe or achieve more   
   than ephemeral progress.   
   In the final sections of this paper, we propose an interdisciplinary emergency   
   response to the behavioural crisis by, amongst other things, the shifting of   
   social norms relating to reproduction, consumption and waste. We seek to   
   highlight a critical    
   disconnect that is an ongoing societal gulf in communication between those   
   that know such as scientists working within limits to growth, and those   
   members of the citizenry, largely influenced by social scientists and   
   industry, that must act.   
   Scientists working in limits to growth must join forces with social scientists   
   not only in academia but critically with the non-academic practitioners of   
   applied social and behavioural science. Not only are such practitioners   
   demonstrated masters in the    
   theory of driving behaviour change but crucially also masters of the practical   
   implementation of that theory in the real world.   
   Lastly, we will provide a possible frame through which to view our species’   
   ability to consciously drive large-scale behavioural change as an opportunity   
   unavailable to most other species. An implementation of such a framework   
   limiting widespread    
   maladaptive behavioural manipulation may ensure human appetites remain within   
   planetary boundaries, and be key in unlocking a truly prosperous and   
   sustainable future for H. sapiens on Earth.   
   This paper is not intended to be an exhaustive roadmap to address the   
   behavioural crisis, instead it should be taken as a call to action for   
   interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve just that.   
      
   SCOPE   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)