Post Carbon Institute’s Richard Heinberg briefly summarizes some of the major environmental and societal crises humanity (and other species) faces as the consequences of a fossil-fueled, growth- and consumption-based capitalist economy that’s been built on the exploitation of people and the planet. The environmental philosopher Joanna Macy coined the term “the Great Unraveling” to describe the phenomenon of multiple, inter-related crises converging, while others use terms like “polycrisis” or “metacrisis.”
The Great Unraveling
Presentation: Navigating the Great Unraveling (November 2022)
By Richard Heinberg, originally published by Post Carbon Institute
November 10, 2022
Richard Heinberg
Richard passed away unexpectedly in July 2026. Read this rememberance by Asher Miller.
Richard Heinberg was regarded as one of the world’s foremost advocates for a shift away from our current reliance on fossil fuels. He was the author of fourteen books, including some of the seminal works on society’s current energy and environmental sustainability crisis. Richard was Senior Fellow of Post Carbon Institute for nearly twenty years.
Richard authored hundreds of essays and articles that have appeared in such journals as Nature and The Wall Street Journal; delivered hundreds of lectures on energy and climate issues to audiences on six continents; and was quoted and interviewed countless times for print, television, and radio. His monthly MuseLetter was published for 400 consecutive months starting in 1992, and was included in Utne Magazine’s annual list of Best Alternative Newsletters.
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