A heart model of Earth stewardship: Shaking up science for positive futures

Few disagree that we should pass on the Earth in good shape to future generations, and many scientists want their work to contribute to that goal. Recent work has shown that hopelessness stands in the way of people taking an active attitude. At the same time, it is becoming clear what can be done about that: providing compelling visions of attractive futures and highlighting feasible pathways. Currently, science and the humanities are not well designed for this task. Practices that stand in the way of a more holistic change-making approach include proposal-based funding, paralyzing rigor requirements, and a focus on explanation rather than action. Removing those barriers may require culture shifts, a notoriously difficult and slow kind of change. Meanwhile, realistic inspiring future scenarios can be developed by bringing diverse thinkers together in environments where time, space, and immediate outcomes are not pressing.

Scheffer, M., J. Anderies, T. Bjordam, J. Bollen, S. Carpenter, T. Chapin, C. Folke, F. Gazitua, M. Holmgren, J. Marcone, S. Polasky, E. Weber, and F. Westley. 2024. A heart model of Earth stewardship: Shaking up science for positive futures. Earth Stewardship 1(1): e12019.