Scrutinizing the Great Acceleration: The Anthropocene and its analytic challenges for social-ecological transformations

Abstract

Despite considerable advancements over the last couple of years, research on the Anthropocene still faces at least two challenges: (1) integrating different approaches from natural, social and cultural sciences, and (2) clarifying the political relevance of this concept. To address these challenges, we propose an interdisciplinary approach from Social Ecology and Political Economy which combines research on social metabolism with a historical approach to capitalist development. We argue that such an interdisciplinary approach can help to better understand the Great Acceleration of production and consumption and the related surge in global resource flows. The observation of such an acceleration in the physical growth of societies, in turn, is perceived as the most convincing argument to explain fundamental shifts in the state and functioning of the Earth system, the Anthropocene. Our approach emphasizes that the Great Acceleration was not homogeneous, neither in space nor in time. Instead, spatial varieties and different historical trajectories must be considered which allow for the differentiation of two phases of accelerated resource use, taking place in different world regions. In this article, we propose an integrated research framework for the study of the Great Acceleration, illustrate the insights to which its application leads and discuss the political relevance of the Anthropocene for further research on social-ecological transformations.

Waste colonialism and metabolic flows in island territories

“…Some analyses build on the Marxist concept of "metabolic rift" by exploring its socioeconomic dimensions (addressing the commodification of the environment), its individual dimensions (looking at the exploitation of nature as a source of alienation), and finally its ecological dimensions (coming to terms with the production of urban and industrial waste that is not reintroduced into biogeochemical cycles) (Foster, 1999;McClintock, 2010). At the intersection of political ecology and ecological economics, the metabolic flows under study are linked to the emergence of environmental conflicts and of severe social inequalities, as the richest countries in the world consume three-quarters of the world's resources and produce much more waste than poorer countries (Görg et al, 2019;Martinez-Alier et al, 2016). Studies also show that such consequences do not stop at territorial borders: metabolic hinterlands (Brenner and Katsikis, 2020), which are home to mining and waste burial practices, bear traces of the Capitalocene.…”

“…Studies also show that such consequences do not stop at territorial borders: metabolic hinterlands (Brenner and Katsikis, 2020), which are home to mining and waste burial practices, bear traces of the Capitalocene. The advent of capitalism marked the beginning of a great acceleration in the consumption of materials and energy (Görg et al, 2019), which continually increases with the extraction of fossil fuels and minerals, and the accumulation of waste on a global scale (Malm, 2017;Moore, 2016). This prompts us to research what we refer to as "capitalocenic metabolism."…”

The treadmill of protection: How public finance constrains climate adaptation

“…Construed in treadmill terms, the Great Acceleration documents, at a planetary scale, the most pronounced versions of Schnaiberg’s “withdrawals” (extraction of groud and surface water, marine fish capture, and tropical forest loss) and “additions” (excess production of methane, nitrogen, and atmospheric carbon dioxide). Unlike Earth system science, however, and of relevance to those interested in the political ramifications of the Anthropocene (Bai et al, 2016; Dalby, 2016; Görg et al, 2020; Malm and Hornborg, 2014), Schnaiberg linked his notion of the treadmill to a materialist theory of the relation between environmental policies of the state and the political economies of capitalism. Since state expenditures on social programs depend on tax revenues generated by the activities of the private sector, public officials interested in expanding social services, in Schnaiberg’s analysis, often find themselves advocating for endless economic growth (Schnaiberg, 1980, cf Chapter 5).…”

Résilience du secteur alimentaire face à la crise Covid-19 et perspectives pour les politiques agricoles en République du Congo

“…La crise actuelle rappelle l'incidence des zoonoses virales sur la sécurité sanitaire et les indicateurs de développement humain (espérance de vie...). Par ailleurs, si les forêts du bassin du Congo sont sources d'aliments comme la viande de brousse, elles sont aussi au centre de la préservation de la biodiversité mondiale (Görg et al, 2020). L'accélération de la déforestation dont elles font l'objet augmente les risques d'expression et de dissémination de maladies émergentes et zoonotiques.…”