Researchers desk

Dr. David A. McKay, Dr. My Sellberg

Reaching the tipping point: tip society, not the planet!

Modern civilisation has had a massive impact on the planet, driving rapid climate change through greenhouse gas emissions and reducing biodiversity by degrading ecosystems. Some of these changes may reach thresholds – known as ‘tipping points’ – beyond which rapid or hard-to-stop
changes become inevitable. But societies can have tipping points too, when transformative change that seemed impossible for years suddenly and unexpectedly becomes possible. Are we on the brink of such a transformation now, so we can tip society instead of the planet?
In this session, #FridaysForFuture activists will host two scientists from the Researchers Desk, who will discuss and take questions on how to navigate these planetary and societal tipping points.

Dr. David A. McKay is a climate scientist based at Stockholm Resilience Centre, where he’s researching tipping points and feedbacks in ecosystems and the climate, and is also involved in #ScientistsForFuture and Researchers Desk. In his talk he’ll explore what climate tipping points and feedbacks are, how they might affect us, and what we can do about them.

Dr. My Sellberg is an environmental scientist based at Stockholm Resilience Centre, focusing on transformations to sustainable and resilient food systems, and how to apply resilience thinking in societal planning. In her talk, she will present different ways of viewing societal transformations and how to enable them.