#23 Crisis, complexity and the path to hope with Thomas Homer Dixon

This week on the podcast we’re speaking with Professor and author Thomas Homer-Dixon. Thomas has a background in political science, but his research and writing over the years has been incredibly interdisciplinary and expansive. He “uses complexity science to examine threats to global security—especially economic instability, environmental stress, ideological polarization, and mass violence—and how people, organizations, and societies can respond to these threats.” Thomas spent time at both the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo, but has recently taken up the position of Executive Director of the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia.

In our interview, Thomas reflected on some of his previous books and writings, including the Upside of Down and Carbon Shift, and how this work connects with his current work at the Cascade Institute. Here, he and his collaborators are examining innovative ways to maximize GHG emissions cuts, address intersecting threats to global environmental and socio-economic stability and how to catalyze transformative change. We also spoke about his new book, Commanding Hope, which examines the idea of hope in the context of how to address current global environmental challenges. In the book, he examines hope from a psychological perspective at the level of the individual, and associated worldviews, and also uses several historical examples where hopeful interventions have driven positive societal transitions. We definitely recommend picking up the book for its big picture perspective on the importance of hope for dealing with our current environmental predicament, and also to check out Thomas’ unique technical approach towards a mapping of hope, both for individuals and our broader collective future.