Beyond Climate War: Writings on Deep Adaptation to societal collapse

Updating this post in 2024, it is nearly 8 years since I first delivered a keynote lecture on the need to discuss what if it is too late to avert catastrophic damage to our societies from the direct and indirect impacts of climate and ecological damage. In that talk, I asked whether we don’t talk about it because of our fears. Because we can fear we will descend into despair and inaction. Or we might fear we will be attacked by our peers and dismissed by our friends. I suggested we needed to overcome such concerns, to explore what an anticipation of societal collapse might mean for our personal, professional and political lives. I offered a framework of questions to begin that conversation and called it Deep Adaptation. By taking time off from my job as a University Professor, I studied the climate science more closely in 2017 and 2018, and reached my personal conclusion that societal collapse in most countries in my lifetime is now inevitable. That meant I could not keep working on sustainable development and corporate sustainability any longer and released a paper in 2018 called Deep Adaptation. That was part of my process of moving on and transforming, not knowing what would come next.

The paper went viral and fuelled a new wave of activism, with Extinction Rebellion, and a new global network of people freely supporting each other, called the Deep Adaptation. Increasing numbers of people have been hearing about this paper, analysis, framework and community from its critics. My friends tell me that this negative reaction indicates that it has become a movement that matters. On the one hand, it is disappointing that people are hearing constant misinformation about what we are doing and why, and the implications for climate activism and policy. On the other hand, perhaps criticism of collapse anticipation is the safest way for some members of the general public to first hear about this possibility, as only those who are emotionally ready will explore further.

In 2023, I released a book, Breaking Together, which provided a lot more depth on the processes of societal collapse, and offered my ideas on how to respond to it. I recommend you read or listen to that, but if you want to locate commentary on specific issues related to DA, then the links to some of my blogs since 2018, below, may be of use.

If you would like to see what other people are saying about Deep Adaptation, consider the new blog at the Deep Adaptation Forum or my Youtube channel. Please use the comments function to add your favourite writings on the Deep Adaptation agenda.

Summaries of the Deep Adaptation Agenda

The Love in Deep Adaptation – A Philosophy for the Forum.

Adapting deeply to likely collapse: an enhanced agenda for climate activists?

Dialogue on Deep Adaptation

To Criticise Deep Adaptation, start here | openDemocracy

Emotional and Psychological Implications

Emotional support in face of climate tragedy

After acceptance – some responses to anticipating collapse

Fourteen Recommendations on Living Beyond Collapse-Denial.

Hope in a time of climate chaos – a speech to psychotherapists.

How Everything Can Collapse – my foreword to new book.

The Benefits of Collapse Acceptance – Part 1

How do I sustain myself in these times?

The Deep Adaptation Paper and Controversy

Versions of the Deep Adaptation paper.

Debating the Pros and Cons of Deep Adaptation? Start Here with a New Edition of Original Paper.

The study on collapse they thought you should not read – yet

Inviting Scientists to Challenge or Improve Deep Adaptation.

The Worst Argument to Try to Win: Response to Criticism of the Climate Science in Deep Adaptation.

Climate scientist speaks about letting down humanity and what to do about it.

From doom-scrolling the latest climate news to doom-sensemaking

Mitigation and Drawdown of Carbon

Catastrophe – Collapse – Apology – Words missing from the IPCC report

Mother Earth Says #MeToo – XR Launch, London, 15 April 2019.

Come clean or step down – speech at the Fracking Shale Gas site of Cuadrilla, Lancashire.

The Future of Climate Activism

Our Power Comes from Acting Without Escape from Our Pain (with XR co-founder Gail Bradbrook)

Nature Doesn’t Do Deals – why we rise on climate.

Striking for Climate Safety.

What Activism Next? Ideas for Climate Campaigners.

Let us hail over 500 scientists and scholars for their courage on societal disruption and collapse.

Does anticipating societal collapse motivate pro-social behaviours? (with Dorian Cave)

Accurate climate activists face prison, while their incorrect critics face… a pay rise?

Processes of Disruption and Collapse

Notes on Hunger and Collapse.

The Climate for Corona – our warming world is more vulnerable to pandemic.

(but best to read the first half of Breaking Together!)

Implications for Philanthropy

Charity in the Face of Collapse: The Need for Generative Giving not Strategic Hubris.

Implications for Businesses

Keeping your job at the end of the world (as we know it)

An Open Letter to Business Supporters of Extinction Rebellion.

Avoiding Davos Disease as Climate Activists.

The Deep Adaptation Forum

The Deep Adaptation Forum launches.

Glocalising DA – launching Deep Adaptation Groups Network.

Finding the Wisdom at Your Fingertips Away from the Headlines.

Deep Adaptation is Up to You as Founder Transitions.

Initial responses to the ‘anti-doomer’ arguments

Barriers to Dialogue on Deep Adaptation

Responding to Green Positivity Critiques of Deep Adaptation.

Don’t police our emotions – climate despair is inviting people back to life.

Please Don’t Shut up Mr Franzen – breaking the taboo on our climate tragedy.

Letters to critics of Deep Adaptation inviting collaboration for humanity.

Deep Adaptation Quarterly – with Rumi’s Secret Medicine – Sept 2020.

When the Methane News Stinks – let’s not forget to Breathe then Act.

If guys with guns are talking about collapse, why can’t we?

Facts on Deep Adaptation in response to a New York Times style article.

(but the Breaking Together book concludes this by showing how collapse is underway)

Ways of Gathering on this Topic

Gathering Ourselves for Deep Adaptation.

A Pandemic of Love – deeply adapting to corona.

Why Discussing Death Can Help Us With Life.

Facilitation for Deep Adaptation- IFLAS Occasional Paper 6 – with Katie Carr

Leadership and Governance in Deep Adaptation

Leadership for Deep Adaptation.

Advancing the Movement of Deep Adaptation to our Climate Tragedy – New Governance and Strategy Processes.

The Creativity and Agency of Collapse-Anticipation.

How to lead in the face of societal disruption.

Leading in a time of dying – notes for talk at ILA 2020.

Practical and Policy Responses

Why Deep Adaptation needs re-localisation.

Currency innovations for communities responding to climate emergency.

Gathering in groups as society falls apart – by Vicki Robin.

The economics of extinction: a reason for rebellion.

Deeply Adapting Diets – meat-free or self-sufficiency?.

Social Justice

Will We Care Enough to Matter to Them? Climate Justice, Solidarity and Deep Adaptation..

Co-liberation for white guys like me facing climate chaos.

Rulers or Pets? Some history on their relative threat to your health.

Parenting and Schooling

Documentary about Children facing Climate Collapse – Oskar’s Quest.

Philosophical Implications

The Collapse of Ideology and the End of Escape.

Why do modern humans oppress and destroy life on Earth? And what to do about it?.

How do we disentangle from destructive ideology? The cosmos remedy.

Existential and Spiritual Implications

Hope and Vision in the Face of Collapse – The 4th R of Deep Adaptation

The Spiritual Invitation of Climate Chaos.

Extinction Redemption – A Letter to the Earth at Easter.

Restoration of Ancient Wisdom in a time of Pandemic.

More…

AV resources on Deep Adaptation.

My channel on Youtube where I interview many people about Deep Adaptation topics.

Audio recordings of many of these articles, by Reverend Michael Dowd.

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