The Earth’s climate & weather patterns have perpetually changed over the millenia. But the last 10,000 years have been relatively stable and it was in this period human civilisation took root and grew into what it is today. The climate is again changing but for the first time it is being caused by humans, or rather by the prodigious burning of fossil fuels that is upsetting the balance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In pursuing a western standard of living for 7+ billion people we are also conducting the largest and most dangerous science experiment on the only home we have. We are destabilising the weather patterns we know and depend on, and at an unprecedented rate. Will we be able to expand food production with increased instances of drought? Will our cities and communities be resilient in the face of more frequent and severe extreme weather events? How will it affect the food chain when a significant proportion of plants & animals become extinct? What will be the economic ramifications of all of this? The risks are enormous and could potentially undermine the foundation on which civilisation is built upon. We need to understand what we are doing.

Why use the term climate destabilisation and not global warming or climate change? For starters it is a more accurate term. Yes, the climate is changing and on average getting warmer but the real danger is the way normal weather patterns will shift away from what we consider normal. Not every location will become warmer year round and there will be a lot more variability with bigger extremes. Weather patterns are destabilising, shifting to some new normal consistent with a warmer climate. Due to the decade long time lags involved this is a long term crisis that will unfold in slow motion and much of the damage has already been done. Also “warm” and “change” are generally considered positive terms while “destabilise” is clearly negative. Six degree warmer weather may be a nice thing, but a six degree warmer climate would be close to hell on earth. Language is incredibly important in how we relate to the reality of situations so it needs to reflect the danger & urgency of the problem we all face.

How This Page Works

This website has been designed so you can find the information that is relevant to you. So if you either find economics a total mystery or consider yourself well versed in the topic you will be able to find something that suits your level of knowledge. Click the buttons below to go to a page dedicated to that level or alternatively scroll down to browse the content.

Have no idea what this is all about? Look here for the best, most succinct, 5 mins or less explanations of what the topic is and why it should be important to you.

Have a vague idea? What you need to know without all the boring details. Look here for a good summary of main points in no more than 15 mins.

Figuring out this is really important? Look here if you want to understand the key details that make up the big picture. A few hours and you will be a bonafide expert.

Know the topic well enough to bore people at parties? Look here for your nerd fix – lectures, talks, docos. Hours and hours of stuff to keep you entertained.