The New Social Contract in the Era of the Sixth Mass Extinction

Understanding the Sixth Mass Extinction

We are currently experiencing the sixth mass extinction, a phenomenon that differs critically from previous extinction events. Unlike past extinction events that were caused by natural phenomena like asteroid impacts or volcanic activity, the current extinction crisis is primarily driven by human activity. The current extinction rate has been evaluated as being over 1,000 times greater than the background extinction rate, which is alarming evidence that we are indeed in the midst of what scientists call the Holocene Mass Extinction Event. Scientists have identified human activities as the primary drivers of this heightened rate of extinction, including habitat loss, pollution, over-exploitation of resources, invasive species proliferation, and climate change.

This existential threat requires immediate attention as species are being lost between 24-85 times faster in the last 500 years than they were during the Cretaceous mass extinction event. The collective impact of humanity's actions is creating unpredictable and irreversible damage to species' habitats while increasing the occurrences of extreme climate events. Currently, the species extinction rate is estimated between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than natural extinction rates—the rate of species extinctions that would occur if humans were not present.

The Need for a New Social Contract

In response to this crisis, a new social contract is urgently needed. This social contract must acknowledge that individuals' free choices often do not guarantee social optimum since decisions are based on imperfect information and involve positive externalities that affect the collective. The social contract, at its most fundamental level, is an implicit agreement between the people and their government about what each side provides to the other. However, in the face of extinction-level threats, this concept must be expanded to encompass our responsibilities toward all life on Earth.

The social contract theory, nearly as old as philosophy itself, is the view that persons' moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live. Now, this contract must be reimagined to address our current ecological crisis. Individual moral behavior and collective responsibility must be reconciled to create a framework that promotes the awareness, unity, and action needed to confront the existential threat we face.

Individual Awareness of Our Role

The new social contract must begin with each individual becoming aware of their role in the greater ecosystem. Human beings are at the center of concerns for sustainable development, and they are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature. This implies that each individual has not only rights but responsibilities toward maintaining environmental balance. Awareness starts with recognizing that our actions have consequences beyond our immediate perception, affecting the planet's biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Individuals must understand that climate change is an existential threat that affects all of us globally, and it's something we should all care about and work on, especially those working in national security. This awareness must go beyond merely acknowledging the problem—it requires a deep understanding of how our individual actions contribute to either mitigating or exacerbating the crisis. The recognition that we play a role in either preserving or destroying our environment forms the basis for informed and responsible action.

Collective Awareness and Action

The new social contract must extend beyond individual awareness to fostering collective consciousness and action. It's not enough for individuals to be aware of their own impact; they must also engage in dialogue to inform others of their roles and responsibilities toward one another and the planet. This collective awareness creates a unified front against existential threats, from climate change to biodiversity loss, affirming that the only path forward involves concerted efforts among all individuals.

Education is a critical tool in preparing individuals for this new social contract. By fostering a sense of global citizenship, people can learn to appreciate their interconnectedness while respecting cultural diversity. When analyzing a larger landscape, the position of a given patch relative to perturbed or unperturbed patches is crucial. Similarly, in our global ecosystem, understanding how our actions affect others around the world is essential for effective collective action.

Striving for Equality and Unity

Unity is absolutely essential for addressing global challenges effectively. Looking at human history, two characteristics stand out repeatedly as our greatest strengths when groups and societies overcome threats, face challenges, and enact vital changes: solidarity and unity. As civil rights leader Martin Luther King put it, "There is power in numbers and there is power in unity". When people unite with a common vision, commit to it, and act decisively with hope and belief, we accomplish a lot and are difficult to stop.

Size matters in collective action. The more people who unite, the more power and influence they have. Unity forged through equality binds individuals in their responsibility to confront extinctions, enabling more effective responses to the crises we face. No single entity—be it a government, corporation, or individual—holds the solution to the environmental challenges before us; thus, collaboration is imperative.

Freedom of Choice Reconsidered

The concept of freedom of choice has become increasingly complex in the context of collective responsibility. Traditionally defined as the individual's ability to act according to their personal preferences, this perception is problematic when individual choices contribute to collective harm. The delicate interplay between individual freedom and collective responsibility forms the crux of societal, ethical, and philosophical discourse.

Freedom should not be interpreted as the liberty to neglect pressing environmental issues or to turn a blind eye to the suffering of future generations. Such a stance effectively minimizes the freedoms of those who rely on the planet for their survival, as well as jeopardizes the rights of future inhabitants of the Earth. The prevailing notion that freedom of choice permits individuals to disengage and ignore pressing environmental issues is fundamentally flawed. This mindset perpetuates a cycle where the freedom to choose inaction translates directly to the degradation of ecosystems, which endangers all life.

Ethical Implications of Individual Actions

The ethical dimensions of individual freedom and collective responsibility are central to understanding the conflicts inherent in their coexistence. Ethical principles guide the delicate balance between the rights of the individual and the responsibilities owed to the collective. When individuals choose to prioritize convenience or self-interest, they risk undermining the fundamental right to life for future generations and the ecology that sustains us all.

Individuals are responsible for thinking about their impact on the environment and, when possible, minimizing the damage they do to the planet. The examination of individual responsibility must go beyond scrutinizing people's choices to avoid flying or reduce meat consumption and focus on the systems and structures that make sustainable choices difficult. Individual change and collective system-level change are interconnected. The cognitive dissonance of identifying a problem but never acting on it is difficult to live with.

Alignment with UN Principles

The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, adopted by 178 Member States in 1992 at the Earth Summit, was a progressive statement that established sustainable development in international law. The Declaration consists of 27 principles intended to guide countries in future sustainable development. These principles promote the centrality of human beings to the concerns of sustainable development, the primacy of poverty eradication, and the importance of the environment for current and future generations.

The UN principles recognized that all created things belong to God and that we are accountable to Him as stewards of the creation. This stewardship implies taking care of the Earth and its resources for the benefit of all humanity, including future generations. The environment must be seen as God's gift to all people, and the use we make of it entails a shared responsibility for all humanity, especially the poor and future generations.

Religious and Spiritual Teachings on Environmental Duty

Many religions and spiritual traditions emphasize humanity's duty to safeguard life and the environment. Pope St. John Paul II stated, "Today the ecological crisis has assumed such proportions as to be the responsibility of everyone…There is an order in the universe which must be respected, and the human person, endowed with the capability of choosing freely, has a grave responsibility to preserve this order for the well-being of future generations".

Many religious traditions have a concept of stewardship or trusteeship that implies a responsibility to care for the Earth as God's creation. The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This dignity extends to ensuring that future generations inherit a habitable planet. In Christianity, teachings emphasize that humans have been placed in a position of responsibility over creation, compelled to care for the environment as stewards.

Building Awareness Through Education and Communication

Education is key to implementing this new social contract. Climate security starts with awareness. We are increasingly seeing climate change effects on our day-to-day lives, whether it's high temperatures, extreme weather events, failing infrastructure, water scarcity, or other effects. If we widely propagate understanding of climate change risks and ways to address climate change—from changes in our individual choices and actions to devoting a career to climate security—climate security will naturally fold into the actions, decisions, and work of current and future generations.

There are numerous ways to raise awareness about climate change and other existential threats. These include organized speaker presentations, cable TV appearances, and weekly "bannerings". Educational conferences and civil actions can also be effective in spreading awareness. Writing to elected officials and testifying before legislative bodies can help influence policy decisions that affect environmental outcomes.

Collective Action Strategies for Environmental Preservation

Collective actions are necessary to address the environmental crisis effectively. Although individuals make up the collective, we must focus on systemic changes on a much larger scale to effectively peak emissions before irreversible damage occurs. These changes to our fundamental systems and practices will change the tide on climate change on the required global level. Addressing climate change takes all of us.

Some effective collective actions include improving our energy sources by implementing technologies and strategies to phase out fossil fuels and replace them with renewable energies. Another crucial collective action is widespread, effective forest protection, especially in the tropics, since these ecosystems are essential for carbon sequestration and the cooling of our planet. Additionally, enhancing the rights and well-being of women and girls is important, as they are both those most impacted by climate change and those who can have the most impact on climate solutions if the gender gap is closed.

Moving Toward Implementation

To implement this new social contract, we need greater consensus among member states in terms of foreign policy. This could take the form of richer member states subsidizing poorer ones to pre-empt efforts by other nations to undermine environmental initiatives. By fostering a sense of collective responsibility, we can build a common vision for a sustainable future.

By working individually and collectively, and by keeping each other accountable, we can achieve a more sustainable future. At the core of this new social contract is the understanding that the conflict between individual freedom and collective responsibility is an enduring ethical dilemma that resonates through history, philosophy, and societal evolution. Finding a path forward requires a nuanced understanding of the ethical foundations that underpin our societal structures. By acknowledging the historical roots, ethical considerations, and philosophical insights surrounding this conflict, we can aspire to forge a path forward that honors individual liberties while fostering collective well-being.

Conclusion: A Call for Unified Action

The new social contract in response to the sixth mass extinction should instill a deep awareness of interconnectedness, prioritize collective action towards equality, and redefine freedom as a shared responsibility to ensure life can continue on this planet. It is a call to reaffirm our commitment to each other and the environment, fostering a future where every action promotes life rather than threatens it.

Navigating the path from individual awareness to collective action requires steadfast commitment to the principles of unity, equality, and responsibility. By prioritizing transparency, inclusivity, and ethical leadership, humanity can steer the new world order towards a future that uplifts and empowers all. As we stand at this crossroads, the question remains: will we shape the new world order, or will it shape us? The answer depends on our collective choices and commitment to building a world that embodies the values of justice, equality, and shared prosperity.