It's the big question for the century: how do we manage human society across the planet as the planet itself becomes increasingly hostile? Geophysical systems are complex, slow (in human terms), and deeply interconnected -- exactly the combination of conditions that our existing systems of governance can't handle. Simply continuing to operate as if nothing is changing at a point when everything is changing is a recipe for disaster.

Jake Dunagan has proposed a panel for South by Southwest Interactive 2014 to explore this very question, and asked me to be on it. Here's the tricky part: the selection of the panel depends (in part) on community support. In other words, if you think this is a useful or important idea, you need to vote for the panel.

Governance in the Anthropocene

Welcome to the Anthropocene, a geological epoch defined by humans and human activities. Humans are a global geological and evolutionary force, yet our economies, social formations, consumption patterns, and governments operate with intentional blindness to this enormous power and responsibility. The institutions that support human civilization, many of which have caused the global challenges we face today, do not appear capable of adapting successfully to 21st century realities. What is needed is a global movement to re-think and re-design governance for the Anthropocene epoch.

The current lineup is Jake Dunagan, Victor Galaz of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, and myself, with more names to come.