Life in the Time of Polycrisis

Description

“Life in the Time of Polycrisis is a sobering analysis of the multiple intersecting drivers of the current planetary crisis. In accessible prose, the book masterfully dismantles the comforting myths of our time: the possibility of ‘green growth,’ the salvation of nuclear fusion, and the promise of a techno-utopian fix. It reveals the stark reality that we have already crossed critical thresholds, and that market-led solutions are often little more than greenwashing. Yet, this is not a testament of despair; the author charts many paths that could lead to hopeful outcomes.” —Amitav Ghosh

Life in the Time of Polycrisis is a unique holistic narrative of the ‘big picture’ of Anthropocene modernity – past, present and future – from a historical and scientific perspective. The book comprehensively unravels the fault lines in the Western socio- economic, environmental, energy, and climate policies that have landed the world in a ‘polycrisis, the global climate crisis being its worst manifestation. Synthesis of 21st century empirical evidence from colonial history, environmental history, future studies, energy and environmental studies, climate science, biophysical economics and industrial ecology form the basis of this highly accessible narration. The scope of the book is global and is aimed at all those interested in a safe, sustainable and equitable planet-our only home.

G. Madhusoodanan has three decades of multidisciplinary learning, research and writing experience in the diverse disciplines of sustainable development, sustainable energy, environmental philosophy, alternative economics, environmental history, climate change, and ecological literary criticism. Along with learning, he has practical experience of implementing development projects as a Senior Civil Servant in India and abroad (as an Advisor of the United Nations). He has published essays in international journals like The Concord Saunterer (USA), ‘Capitalism, Nature, Socialism’ (USA) and hundreds of articles in national English newspapers and periodicals in India. In the regional language Malayalam, he pioneered Ecological Literary Criticism and published ten books. His ecocriticism writings in Malayalam have been translated into English (Ecocriticism in Malayalam) and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing, U.K. He received ten prestigious literary Awards till date, including two Kerala Literary Academy Awards in 2002 and 2019.