Why are people so slow to take action on climate-change? Why is there such a disconnect between scientists and artists? What is science for? What will it take to make people change their habits? Aren't we supposed to make the most of nature's bounty?

These questions are on the minds of many as we face unprecedented environmental challenges - the same issues arise when we investigate progress traps. This is the condition in which we find ourselves when human ingenuity, in pursuing progress, inadvertently introduces problems that it does not have the resources to solve, preventing further progress. Environmental degradation, followed by social decline, is a key example and provides the starting point for this study. Jared Diamond (Collapse, Guns, Germs and Steel), describes the oft-repeated collapse of formerly brilliant societies as a "baffling phenomenon."

other perspectives

index of articles and posts

Progresstrap.org is a companion site to the book Escaping the Progress Trap by Daniel B. O'Leary...coming soon - electronic version

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