The world is facing a climate crisis that is threatening the stability and survival of human civilization. This is not a hypothetical scenario, but a reality that has been observed in the past, when severe climate shocks led to the collapse of ancient cultures and societies.
One example is the Puebloan culture of Chaco Canyon, which flourished in what is now New Mexico from the 9th to the 13th centuries. The Puebloans built elaborate stone structures and developed sophisticated irrigation systems, astronomy, and trade networks. However, they also faced prolonged droughts that reduced their crop yields and water supplies. When a severe drought hit in the late 13th century, the Puebloans abandoned their settlements and migrated to other regions, leaving behind a ghostly landscape of ruins.
Another example is the ancient Mayan civilization, which dominated much of Central America from the 3rd to the 9th centuries. The Maya built impressive pyramids, temples, palaces, and cities, and developed advanced mathematics, writing, and astronomy. They also relied on complex agricultural systems that depended on rainfall and soil fertility. When a series of droughts struck between the 8th and 10th centuries, the Maya faced food shortages, social unrest, warfare, and population decline. Many of their cities were deserted and their civilization collapsed.
A third example is the Viking settlers of Greenland, who arrived in the 10th century and established two colonies on the island. The Vikings adapted to the harsh environment by raising livestock, hunting seals and walruses, and trading with Europe. However, they also faced a changing climate that made their lives more difficult. The Medieval Warm Period, which allowed them to settle in Greenland, was followed by the Little Ice Age, which brought colder temperatures, shorter growing seasons, and more sea ice. The Vikings failed to adjust to these changes and continued their unsustainable practices until they perished or left by the 15th century.
These historical cases show how climate change can trigger or exacerbate social conflicts, violence, migration, political instability, and economic crises. They also show how civilizations can implode when their rulers persist in their traditional ways until disintegration becomes unavoidable.
We are witnessing the first stages of civilization’s collapse. The question is whether we will respond in time to prevent it from becoming irreversible. As Michael T. Klare writes in The Nation, “We are not doomed to follow in their footsteps. We have the benefit of hindsight, scientific knowledge, and technological innovation. But we also face unprecedented challenges that require unprecedented solutions.”
Extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, floods, wildfires, and storms, are becoming more frequent and destructive due to climate change. These events can cause human suffering, damage infrastructure, disrupt supply chains, and increase health risks. They can also have cascading effects that amplify their impacts and create new threats.
For instance, a new report from an international team of scientists suggests that feedback loops could push global temperatures into a ‘hothouse Earth’ state, where the climate remains hotter than pre-industrial levels even if human greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to zero. This could lead to sea level rise of up to 60 meters (197 feet), melting ice caps, loss of biodiversity, desertification, and more extreme weather.
Another example is how climate change can increase the risk of global catastrophic events, such as nuclear war, pandemics, bioterrorism, cyberattacks, or artificial intelligence accidents. These events could cause widespread death or damage to civilization or humanity as a whole. Climate change can increase the likelihood or severity of these events by creating more stressors, conflicts, instability, or vulnerabilities.
Urgent action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to climate impacts before it is too late. As António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations says: “We have to act now. The longer we wait to take action, the more costly it will be to adapt and the more irreversible the damage will be.”
We have a choice: we can either face the reality of climate change and take action to prevent or mitigate its consequences; or we can ignore or deny it and face the collapse of civilization as we know it. The fate of our future depends on our actions today.
Relevant articles:
– We Are Witnessing the First Stages of Civilization’s Collapse, The Nation, August 22, 2023
– A warning on climate and the risk of societal collapse, The Guardian, December 6, 2020
– Climate collapse: Fearing society’s doom, DW, April 28, 2021
– The future of global catastrophic risk events from climate change, Yale Climate Connections, July 27, 2022