Managing risk in the Forever Society

Aim: To describe a methodology for looking at human actions in the context of a sustainable society. Research methods: Reviewed data on the health of the ecosphere, and a consideration of efforts to describe and mediate ecosystem degradation. Conclusions: A methodology is needed to context the complex global system and it’s subordinate and constituent systems with consequences for violating sustainable goals. Originality / value of the article: It provides a means of linearizing the complexity of systems which uses the carbon dioxide molecule as the base unit of analysis, and locates humans within the context of resource use. Using the concept of Energy Return on Energy Investment to evaluate variables simplifies analysis. Implications of the research: A global effort to consider the basin of sustainability is needed. Limitations of the research: This paper is a primer, and uses a hypothetical project to explore the methodology and concepts. It uses commonly available data to discuss the global system. A next step would be to use the methodology with data on an actual project or social system. JEL: Q01, Q20, Q40, Q51, Q54, C02