Exploring pathways to a better Anthropocene

There is growing consensus that global development is on an unsustainable trajectory. However, the global change community has produced very few positive visions of more desirable, just, and sustainable futures for society and nature, or how these might be achieved. In the rare non-negative visions, the potential of such futures and the pathways towards achieving them are not clearly articulated. Together, this abundance of negative visions and a lack of clearly articulated positive ones, may inhibit our ability to move towards a positive future for the Earth and humanity.

In this seminar, Elena Bennett will talk about efforts to develop a suite of alternative, plausible visions of futures that are socially and ecologically desirable, just, and sustainable, by identifying elements of a good Anthropocene that already exist (Seeds of Good Anthropocenes), and showing how she and colleagues explore how these ‘seeds’ can lead to larger social-ecological transformations.

About Elena Bennett

Elena Bennett is an Associate Professor at McGill School of Environment & Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Canada. She is co-chair of the international project ecoSERVICES, which aims to set the research agenda for ecosystem services for the coming decade, and lead author on the IPBES Global Assessment. At McGill, she has won awards for undergraduate teaching, graduate supervision, and contributions to campus sustainability. Elena Bennett has an MSc in Land Resources and a PhD in Limnology and Marine Sciences, both from the University of Wisconsin.