Global crisis

Uncontrollable global change
Threat of global catastrophe
Planetary collapse
Polycrisis

Nature

A global crisis is a severe, widespread problem that transcends national borders, affecting multiple countries or the entire world. Such crises can be economic, environmental, health-related, or political, and often result in significant disruptions to societies, economies, and international relations. Examples include pandemics, climate change, financial collapses, and large-scale conflicts. Global crises typically require coordinated international responses due to their complexity and far-reaching impacts. Failure to address these crises effectively can lead to long-term consequences, including loss of life, economic instability, social unrest, and deterioration of global cooperation and security.

Background

The concept of a "global crisis" emerged prominently in the mid-20th century, as interconnected threats—such as nuclear proliferation, environmental degradation, and economic instability—began to transcend national boundaries. The 1972 Club of Rome report, "The Limits to Growth," catalyzed international recognition of systemic vulnerabilities. Since then, the term has been increasingly invoked in response to complex, simultaneous challenges, prompting multidisciplinary research and coordinated policy responses to address the escalating scale and interdependence of global risks.

Incidence

Global crises have manifested with increasing frequency and severity in recent decades, affecting populations across continents and disrupting economic, social, and political systems. These crises often transcend national borders, overwhelming local capacities and requiring coordinated international responses. Their global scale is evident in the widespread displacement of people, economic downturns, and the strain on healthcare and food systems.
A notable recent example is the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and rapidly spread worldwide. By 2021, the crisis had resulted in millions of deaths, economic recessions, and unprecedented disruptions to daily life in nearly every country.

Claim

Global crisis is like an airplane losing rivets? Many rivets can pop out without having any effect on the airworthiness of the plane, but eventually the loss of one-too-many rivets will cause a crash.

We have so many crises: a crisis of democracy, a crisis of the nation state, a crisis of politicians and political institutions, a crisis of ideas, environmental crisis and so on.

Counter-claim

Frankly, the so-called “global crisis” is vastly overblown. Every generation faces challenges, yet humanity adapts and thrives. Media sensationalism fuels unnecessary panic, distracting us from real progress and innovation. Climate, economy, and politics have always fluctuated—this is nothing new. Instead of obsessing over exaggerated threats, we should focus on individual responsibility and local solutions. The “global crisis” narrative is simply not the urgent catastrophe it’s made out to be.

Global crisis

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