Lessons for human survival in a world without ecological templates: what can we learn from small-scale societies?
Historical records are incomplete templates for preparing for an uncertain future. The global utility of past ecological knowledge for present/future purposes is questioned as we move from Holocene to Anthropocene. To increase the adaptive capacity of today's societies, generalizable strategies...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Resilience Alliance
2021-10-01
|
| Series: | Ecology and Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol26/iss3/art2/ |
| _version_ | 1818404624940400640 |
|---|---|
| author | Roope O. Kaaronen Mikael A. Manninen Emery Roe Janne I. Hukkinen Jussi T. Eronen |
| author_facet | Roope O. Kaaronen Mikael A. Manninen Emery Roe Janne I. Hukkinen Jussi T. Eronen |
| author_sort | Roope O. Kaaronen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Historical records are incomplete templates for preparing for an uncertain future. The global utility of past ecological knowledge for present/future purposes is questioned as we move from Holocene to Anthropocene. To increase the adaptive capacity of today's societies, generalizable strategies must be identified for coping with uncertainty over a wide range of conditions and contingencies. We identify two key principles that increase adaptive capacities: diversification and precautionary heuristics. These sharply contrast with the present global state represented by the global production ecosystem characterized by: (1) homogenization and simplification of cultural practices and resource bases; (2) increased global connectivity and forced dissolution of cultural borders; and (3) centralization and intensification of modes of resource production and extraction. We highlight that responses of smaller-scale societies to risks and uncertainties are in many cases emulated by professionals in the high reliability management in today's critical infrastructures. This provides a modern template for managing unpredictability in the Anthropocene. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:43:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b52efd9955a84c0e9b58aac6b0ed0c4f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1708-3087 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:43:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-b52efd9955a84c0e9b58aac6b0ed0c4f2022-12-21T23:09:16ZengResilience AllianceEcology and Society1708-30872021-10-01263210.5751/ES-12476-26030212476Lessons for human survival in a world without ecological templates: what can we learn from small-scale societies?Roope O. Kaaronen0Mikael A. Manninen1Emery Roe2Janne I. Hukkinen3Jussi T. Eronen4PAES, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiPAES, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiFaculty of Social Sciences, University of HelsinkiEnvironmental Policy Research Group, University of HelsinkiPAES, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiHistorical records are incomplete templates for preparing for an uncertain future. The global utility of past ecological knowledge for present/future purposes is questioned as we move from Holocene to Anthropocene. To increase the adaptive capacity of today's societies, generalizable strategies must be identified for coping with uncertainty over a wide range of conditions and contingencies. We identify two key principles that increase adaptive capacities: diversification and precautionary heuristics. These sharply contrast with the present global state represented by the global production ecosystem characterized by: (1) homogenization and simplification of cultural practices and resource bases; (2) increased global connectivity and forced dissolution of cultural borders; and (3) centralization and intensification of modes of resource production and extraction. We highlight that responses of smaller-scale societies to risks and uncertainties are in many cases emulated by professionals in the high reliability management in today's critical infrastructures. This provides a modern template for managing unpredictability in the Anthropocene.https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol26/iss3/art2/adaptationanthropoceneclimate changecultural evolutiondiversificationenvironmental changehigh reliability managementprecautionary principlerisk |
| spellingShingle | Roope O. Kaaronen Mikael A. Manninen Emery Roe Janne I. Hukkinen Jussi T. Eronen Lessons for human survival in a world without ecological templates: what can we learn from small-scale societies? Ecology and Society adaptation anthropocene climate change cultural evolution diversification environmental change high reliability management precautionary principle risk |
| title | Lessons for human survival in a world without ecological templates: what can we learn from small-scale societies? |
| title_full | Lessons for human survival in a world without ecological templates: what can we learn from small-scale societies? |
| title_fullStr | Lessons for human survival in a world without ecological templates: what can we learn from small-scale societies? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lessons for human survival in a world without ecological templates: what can we learn from small-scale societies? |
| title_short | Lessons for human survival in a world without ecological templates: what can we learn from small-scale societies? |
| title_sort | lessons for human survival in a world without ecological templates what can we learn from small scale societies |
| topic | adaptation anthropocene climate change cultural evolution diversification environmental change high reliability management precautionary principle risk |
| url | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol26/iss3/art2/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT roopeokaaronen lessonsforhumansurvivalinaworldwithoutecologicaltemplateswhatcanwelearnfromsmallscalesocieties AT mikaelamanninen lessonsforhumansurvivalinaworldwithoutecologicaltemplateswhatcanwelearnfromsmallscalesocieties AT emeryroe lessonsforhumansurvivalinaworldwithoutecologicaltemplateswhatcanwelearnfromsmallscalesocieties AT janneihukkinen lessonsforhumansurvivalinaworldwithoutecologicaltemplateswhatcanwelearnfromsmallscalesocieties AT jussiteronen lessonsforhumansurvivalinaworldwithoutecologicaltemplateswhatcanwelearnfromsmallscalesocieties |