The Social Pathology of Polycrisis
Stephen J. Purdey
Stephen J. Purdey explores how the polycrisis has emerged as a growing threat despite humanity’s shared desire for safety and prosperity. He argues that its material dimensions are rooted in…
Polycrisis Resource Library
The Polycrisis Resource Library is a growing collection of media that help to understand polycrisis, develop strategies to address polycrisis, and build a field of polycrisis analysis.
Revolution in an Age of Polycrisis
Rachel Ainsworth and Daniel Hoyer
The authors explore the intersection of revolutionary theory and emerging polycrisis discourses, examining how various international and national factors become intertwined, creating polycrisis events that can lead to revolutionary moments….
Liberal Environmentalism and Climate Change in the Polycrisis
David Krogmann
David Krogmann explores the persistence of liberal environmentalism in international climate policy, despite the growing climate crisis and the broader polycrisis in international relations. He argues that the deep institutionalization…
Cascading socio-economic and financial impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war differ across sectors and regions
Cornelia Auer, Francesco Bosello, Giacomo Bressan, Elisa Delpiazzo, Irene Monasterolo, Christian Otto, Ramiro Parrado and Christopher P. O. Reyer
The authors examine how financial markets amplify the cascading socio-economic impacts of global food and energy trade disruptions. Applying their methodology to the Russia-Ukraine war, they reveal regionally diverse effects,…
What is this era of calamity we’re in? Some say ‘polycrisis’ captures it
Matthew Cantor
This article examines the concept of polycrisis, explaining how interconnected crises heighten global instability. It highlights the Cascade Institute’s efforts to identify high-leverage intervention points — strategic areas where targeted…
Fossil Fuels as the Cause of the Global Polycrisis
Change Oracle
This article argues how fossil fuels are both the main driver of the polycrisis and a significant barrier to effective climate action. It highlights how the global economy’s dependence on…
Global Interconnectedness of Risks: A Worldwide Analysis
Marcella Lucchetta
The author explores the interconnected global risk landscape, where various risks amplify one another, potentially causing cascading effects across regions and sectors. She examines the global relationship between different types…
Planetary Boundaries, Polycrisis and Politics in the Anthropocene: Climate Pathways, Tipping Cascades and Transition to Sustainable Peace in Integrative Geography
Jürgen Scheffran
This chapter explores the impacts of the “great acceleration” in human development and its impact on planetary boundaries and the polycrisis in the Anthropocene. Using an Integrative Geography perspective, it…
Systemic Risk and the Polycrisis
Florian U. Jehn
The author explores the concepts of systemic risk, polycrisis, and catastrophic risk, explaining how interconnected failures can cascade across diverse systems, threatening global stability. He emphasizes how systemic risk and…
The Polycrisis and the Uncertainty Possibility Space
Bruno Charbonneau and Alexandre Giguère
The authors explore the polycrisis concept as the interaction of multiple global crises, arguing that focusing solely on causal links does not fully capture the politics of knowledge about the…
About the Resource Library
The Polycrisis Resource Library includes resources that:
- Comment on the polycrisis as a concept and as a present global reality
- Undertake similar analysis using different—but related—concepts
- Analyze crisis interactions among multiple global systems
Though not exhaustive, the Library strives to present a diverse representation of views on different aspects of the polycrisis discussion, and will be updated as that discussion evolves. Search for resources with the keyword search bar, or by using the drop-down menus to filter for type of resource, global systems addressed, and key themes.