ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the meanings of ‘crisis’, ‘collapse’ and ‘catastrophe’. It argues that ‘It is never too late!’ and those we need to adopt a realism that then acts on the positive solutions that exist. The chapter describes ‘Towards a good collapse’. It explores that a major reduction in society’s impact on nature is needed, and this could be called a ‘collapse’. The terms ‘crisis’ and ‘collapse’ and ‘catastrophe’ is often used, but is these valid words to use. Most people mean by collapse a societal collapse, which can also be called the fall of a complex human society or civilisation. Most uses of the term ‘collapse’ come from a meaning of societal collapse; however, ecosystem collapse is just as important. Ecosystem collapse has been caused by: eutrophication, overfishing, species introduction, nutrient impact on coral ecosystems, regional climate change, the unsustainable bush-meat trade and loss of keystone species.
