March 29, 2024

Chapter 7 – a state of change <-> a change of state

Notes and thoughts on: the state of the world as I see it… a state of change <-> a change of state

July 2022

First draft


A time of innovation and change

I never thought that I would look back fondly at the relative simplicity of 2021. The pace of change seems to have picked up in 2022 in Europe. Spurred on by the war in Ukraine, the drive to dramatically reduce dependence on fossil fuels has ramped up significantly although the parallel drive to phase out nuclear power in Germany has led to a short-term bridging solution involving reactivating coal-powered electricity generation. The general picture seems to be becoming increasingly clear however. Industry, politics and the general population have broadly realised the importance of reducing our CO2 output and are now taking appropriate steps in a way which would been surprising just two years ago.

Jump to Outlook and Notes

For example from Twitter:

I have been thinking recently about the theory of changes of state in complex systems as well as (critical) transitions in complex systems. Particularly relevant for me was the idea of the importance of maintaining focus on longer-term goals during transition. I did a brief search about it and some of the results are included below. The results are certainly not definitive and are rather mathematical in places but they did give me some good ideas for further thoughts:

Links for transitions in complex systems

Outlook and notes:

  • The urgency to react to climate change has increased significantly
  • Bridging solutions on the way to future technological solutions are necessary
  • What sort of organisational structures do we need at regional, national and world level to rise to the challenge? Regionality*
  • In a world of multiple concurrent crises, how do we retain foucs on, for example, the pandemic? It’s not over yet!
  • How to rebuild and further develop education and training at all levels after years of neglect und under-investment? Also how to enable or increase accessibility to training and education at all levels for young people? Development of existing and new centres of educational and technological centres. Fachkräftemangel*
  • How to promote income convergence and wealth distribution in a situation of dysbalance? How to promote social stability and fairness?
  • The war in Ukraine has challenged the passive pacifism to which we had had become accustomed over the last decades. The concept of peace includes looking out for the well-being of your neighbours and not just the absence of war or war-like behaviour.
  • The challenge of orientation during transition and keeping focus on long-term objectives. **
  • Have radical and realistic aims.
  • Respect traditions and the established but have the courage to look forwards. * Ernst Ludwig Herzog DA
  • How to protect new found freedoms of expression and exchange, for example, for minorities in social media? How much protection do we need and how to maintain a healthy discourse in society?
  • The transformation of industry into an ecologically sustainable future is an essential part and partner of political drivers for change.
  • How to, despite the crisis situation, develop the trust and faith needed for decentral and regional solutions?
  • Insecurity tends to lead to a reduction in investment. In the current situation we need to counter this decisively, we need to invest in an uncertain future.

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The author

2wheels, adventure, ecology, dad and husband, green, news, tech-fan, trauma- and orthopod, engineer and human. https://mstdn.social/@MarkDW

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