This is Why ‘Polycrisis’ is a Useful Way of Looking at the World Right Now

World Economic Forum Agenda writer Kate Whiting interviews Columbia University historian Adam Tooze about the polycrisis at the WEF’s 2023 Summit in Davos, covering such topics as the history of the term; the origins of the present polycrisis in the economic shocks of the 70s and 2000s alongside concurrent problems in politics, geopolitics, environment, and health; the long-term stresses and frustrations affecting young people today; the renewable energy transition as a key part of any solution; and the importance of recognizing the mess of problems we face. “If you’ve been feeling confused and as though everything is impacting on you all at the same time, this is not a personal, private experience. This is actually a collective experience.”