James Magnus-Johnston

My call to action is both simple and revolutionary: embrace complexity and cultivate genuine dialogue. Develop the intellectual humility to acknowledge that our survival depends on our ability to adapt, collaborate, and think beyond tribal boundaries amid profound, transformational change.

Last May, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern released a budget to improve the “wellbeing” of its citizens rather than focusing on productivity and GDP growth. And not so coincidentally, New Zealand has one of the best coronavirus outcomes of any democracy in the world.

May I re-frame the coronavirus conversation? Outbreaks are going to happen more often in our climate-altered world, and they highlight the fragility of our growth-or-bust industrial system.

We’re feeling a tipping point emerge, and it’s not just ecological. It’s cultural, political, and institutional. We’d best do the emotional work and be ready.

A new voice has emerged recently in Canada called the “Ecofiscal Commission,” which could have the funding, clout, and determination to steer the country in a more promising direction.

When prices are high, the debt-based Ponzi scheme functions; when prices sustain lows, the scheme unravels.