Social tipping points and Earth systems dynamics

• Main Authors: Bentley, R.A., Maddison, E., Ranner, P., Bissell, J., Caiado, C., Bhatanacharoen, P., CLARK, Timothy Adrian Robert, Botha M., Akinbami F., Hollow M., Michie R., Huntley B., Curtis S., Garnett P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2014
• Subjects: Paleoecology; Research synergies; Ecological breakdown; Paleoclimatology; Social collapse; Environmental Policy; Environmental Sciences
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6269; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7268/viewcontent/fenvs_02_00035.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Recently, Early Warning Signals (EWS) have been developed to predict tipping points in Earth Systems. This discussion highlights the potential to apply EWS to human social and economic systems, which may also undergo similar critical transitions. Social tipping points are particularly difficult to predict, however, and the current formulation of EWS, based on a physical system analogy, may be insufficient. As an alternative set of EWS for social systems, we join with other authors encouraging a focus on heterogeneity, connectivity through social networks and individual thresholds to change.