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More Than a Buzzword? Mapping Interpretations of the ‘Polycrisis’

This article critically examines the concept of polycrisis, tracing its evolution from rhetorical buzzword to an emerging analytical lens in sustainability and crisis research. Based on a Q-methodology study involving 50 experts, the authors identify four distinct framings of polycrisis: as analytically tractable, as networked shocks, as a global governance challenge, and as requiring conceptual […]

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All Crises are Unhappy in Their Own Way: The Role of Societal Instability in Shaping the Past

This article introduces the Crisis Database, a comprehensive resource that systematically documents 168 historical societal crises across different time periods, regions, and levels of complexity. Aiming to overcome small-sample bias in previous studies, the database captures a wide range of political, economic, cultural, and institutional factors associated with crises, as well as their consequences—such as

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Examining the Three Existential Threats of the 21st Century: Artificial Intelligence, Climate Change, and Nuclear Weapons

The authors critically examine three existential threats facing humanity in the 21st century: advanced artificial intelligence, escalating climate change, and nuclear weapons. Drawing on scientific consensus and growing institutional concern, they explore the structural features that make each threat existential and analyze their dangerous interactions. The authors propose a framework for future inquiry, policy, and

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World of Woes: How the Global Polycrisis is Shaping Canada’s Youth

This article explores why young Canadians are increasingly reporting feelings of despair amid what experts describe as a global polycrisis. Drawing on personal testimonies, it reflects on how a generation shaped by constant exposure to global tragedies, political uncertainty, and systemic challenges amplified by social media is experiencing heightened anxiety and hopelessness. Unlike past eras

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2026 Emergency Watchlist

The Watchlist 2026 report by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) highlights the deepening intersection of conflict, climate change, and economic instability across 20 crisis-prone countries. It warns of a dangerous divergence: while humanitarian needs are surging—with over 239 million people requiring assistance, catastrophic food insecurity in six countries, and the highest number of active conflicts

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The Anthropocene Paradigm Shift

In this symposium, experts explore the Anthropocene as a scientific, cultural, political, and economic paradigm shift, examining the trajectories of the Great Acceleration and the current state of the biosphere, and critically reflecting on key frameworks shaping global debate: planetary boundaries, tipping points, planetary stewardship, and the planetary commons.

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Planetary Health Check 2025: A Scientific Assessment of the State of the Planet

The Planetary Health Check report provides an assessment of the state of our planet. The report is based on the Planetary Boundaries -the nine processes that are known to regulate the stability, resilience and life-support unctions of our planet. The report concludes that seven out of nine Planetary Boundaries have been breached: Climate Change, Change

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