by Graeme Taylor
Introduction
Optimists point out that every year humanity becomes better educated, wealthier and more interconnected (Havelock, 2011): the Gates Foundation predicts that if current trends continue there will be almost no poor countries by 2035 (Withnall, 2014). In contrast, more pessimistic analysts warn that business as usual is unsustainable: catastrophic climate change and increasing shortages of water, food and cheap energy could collapse human civilizations by mid-century (Turner, 2014). (continue…)