ABSTRACT
And avoiding complacency: Following a long-established way of life, taking for granted that resources would always be there, meant that the Easter Islanders apparently lost sight of the increasing urgency to deal with the growing risks. If we look at our approach to tackling many of the global challenges, we could argue that, similarly, we lack a sense of profound urgency – but without any excuse. We live in a globalised world where the challenges of conflict, global warming and population growth know no boundaries. We are increasingly dependent on one another. We will survive or decline together. Planet Earth is our only home. Like the Easter Islanders, we have nowhere else to go.
