Horizon narrows, can we tunnel through?

Elies Molins Research Professor at ICMAB-CSIC

President of API-CSICMember of the EC of the FMTS-WFSW

Cosmocaixa (Barcelona), May 12th, 2015

What there is?• We are populating a planet with a whole

surface of 510.000.000 km2, about 70% covered by oceans.

• The solar constant on Earth is assumed to be 1367 W/h. So, on surface we have on about 3-5 kWh/day.

The living organisms retain 200 billion tons of carbon

Living force

AtmospherePhotosynthesis took lot of time in converting the atmosphere as it is. The carbon was fixed as coal, petroleum and natural gas. We have started to reverse the process!

Impact of human activity

Full discussion by Gus Speth

• “If we could speed time, it would seem as if the global economy is crashing against the earth”

• “Today’s environmentalism has proven insufficient to deal with current challenges”

• “The economic system fails to seek transformative changes”

Market, growth, consumption

• Prices must achieve environmentally honest prices

• Endless economic growth does not increase human happiness

• Fiscal paradises accumulate 17 trillion US$ (our Golden Calf)

• Corporations encourage non-responsible consumption

The Adoration of the Golden Calf by Nicolas Poussin

Driving a transformation

• A new conciousness: social values, culture and worldviews. Green consumption and living more simply.

• A new politics: promoting equality and sustainability. People concerned.

• Corporations must turn towards looking for the ‘common goods’.

• Summarizing: Can we overcome our inertia? Horizon is narrowing…