Global changes reshape our society and the Biosphere dramatically. The main reason is that we consider these as two independent systems. If collapse is to be avoided, we need to dig deep down in our culture, adapt and pre-adapt and be part of the game again. Overpopulation and overconsumption result in a totally unsustainable ecological footprint. Reducing carbon emission, offering renewable energy sources and better resource management are important topics but the key targets should be consuming much less energy and increasing the extent of natural habitats. Ecological systems, if they have enough space to function properly, can offer us a massively stable environment. The state-of-the-art is powerless conservationism, inefficient regulations, greenwashing and environmental discussions completely out of focus. We must urgently learn a new culture, based on systems thinking, long-term strategies, self-control, prudent consumption, rewilding and pre-adaptation to the unpredictable future.

Ferenc Jordán is Hungarian systems ecologist, mostly interested in ecological networks. He is collaborating with a wide range of scientists, building bridges across disciplines. Focusing on the Biosphere/Human socio-ecological system, he is increasingly involved in science communication. Without looking for compromises, his transparent communication style makes him popular in Hungary. His earlier book Az ember vége, a természet esélye (The end of man, a chance for nature) was coined the Book of the Decade by National Geographic Hungary.