Ian Bremmer of GZero is a geopolitical expert who I regularly listen to. This week, he released his State of the World 2025 speech and it’s an interesting watch, which I recommend. The commentary on the US becoming unpredictable and unreliable is spot on, as is the message that all nations must become self-sufficient and to get prepared, as the old rules disappear and the new ones haven’t been written yet. The key take-aways:
- Recognize that the geopolitical trajectory is unsustainable and crisis is inevitable
- Understand that history isn’t deterministic – trajectories can be changed through action
- Foster empathy, leadership, cooperation, and trust at individual, business, and governmental levels
- Accept that the world won’t return to pre-Trump political culture; adaptation is necessary
So essentially, we are in a time of crisis, and we need to get prepared. I really recommend watching the speech.
However, I have a problem with speeches like this. It doesn’t draw all aspects of the polycrisis into the story. We are not just in a geopolitical crisis; we are in a polycrisis. I have segmented the issues relevant to the polycrisis into eight categories, with four primary drivers and four resulting impacts. Each is massive, but when you’re only talking geopolitics, and not factoring in all eight, you are not addressing the bigger issues at play in the world today, which are all happening at the same time and so the impacts compound.
We have many experts in all these areas, but it is by weaving the whole story together that we can understand where we are. It’s not just geopolitics, or climate change, or ocean acidification, or war, or the mental health crisis, or escalating pandemic risks, or technology threats, or or or, it’s everything together and when we get our heads around the bigger story, then we can understand the true risks we face today and prepare. I know it’s not pretty to face (it’s harrowing to be honest), but this is where we are.
To illustrate the bigger story, here’s some headlines from the past week, which are relevant across the polycrisis, and ultimately tell a much bigger risk story.
- Dolphins Are Getting Alzheimer’s Symptoms Because of Pollution and Algae – we have to expect that if it’s impacting dolphins, it’s impacting us too
- Guess what? This is NOT a good idea – Trump Administration Opens the Entire Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Oil and Gas Leasing – Earthjustice
- We’ve heard a lot about Bird Flu, but there’s a new deadly strain on the move – Deadly H5 strain of bird flu suspected on sub-Antarctic Heard Island in the Southern Ocean – ABC News
- Moving fast now and the impacts? Devastating – 2025 another disastrous year for glaciers in Switzerland – Reporters Online
- A matter of time until millions are forced to move, which will increase global tensions as climate refugees need somewhere to go, but it will also mean agricultural devastation and that impacts us all – Climate change could make it dangerous for humans to go outside – we must act | Science | News | Express.co.uk
- A headline that gives us no confidence at ALL!! Anthropic Has a Plan to Keep Its AI From Building a Nuclear Weapon. Will It Work? | WIRED
- We are poisoning the ocean – It’s official—the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has become an unprecedented ocean phenomenon, fueled by nutrients from the Amazon, fertilizers, and sewage
- The heat is coming – Rising temperatures are threatening UK trees – but these species could save our forests – BBC Weather
- Novel entities are everywhere and we still don’t have enough research to understand the impacts on us and all other living beings on the planet – Makeup, shampoos and hair care products still contain toxic chemicals. Experts call out ingredients to look for | CNN
- We’re used to them in Asia, in Iceland? Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time as climate crisis warms country | Insects | The Guardian
- This is not going to change, as climate impacts continue to devastate agriculture. The worst part is the consolidation of the agricultural sector, with a handle full of mega companies. When they go down – and they will – we are screwed. Grow a garden and support local farmers, because we’re going to need them – Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit | Why food prices are still…
- Supply chains are already impacted, and this is going to get worse – ‘An urgent public health crisis’: Why so many people are struggling to get medicine
- As human capital is a reduced cost, tech companies must make contributions to society, to ensure we can afford Universal Basic Income. If this doesn’t happen, a very small group of people will become trillionaires and the rest of us? I suggest reading Curtis Yarvin’s drivel to understand the plan for us. So, is your government moving towards this? Probably not. I am not seeing any long term planning that matches the potential risks we face here, and this is a societal collapse risk – Amazon Plans to Replace More Than Half a Million Jobs With Robots – The New York Times
- How’s this for an absolutely understated headline? We are not moving forwards at all – New Report Finds Efforts to Slow Climate Change Are Working—Just Not Fast Enough | WIRED
- And here is proof of that fact – headline of the year? The Latest Climate News Is So Bad That You Should Probably Not Click This and Just Bury Your Head in the Sand
- Cruising per person emits eight times the CO² compared to land travel. It’s a destructive industry that is growing rapidly, and we must acknowledge this is not something we can continue. There’s new risks too! In Alaska, you might get caught out in a freak tsunami and the sector is not ready for this threat – Cruise ships are flocking to Alaska to chase ice. But receding glaciers are leaving a new threat behind | CNN
- There’s so much on AI it’s overwhelming, but one issue that is growing – People Who Say They’re Experiencing AI Psychosis Beg the FTC for Help | WIRED
- If you haven’t already, it’s time to significantly reduce red meat in your diet, something that would make a massive difference in the fight for the future of our species. But to really make a difference, we need everyone on board. We can’t keep growing our demand for red meat, because we don’t have anywhere to grow, unless of course we chop down all our remaining forests to keep up with demand. Do you think that sounds like a good idea? Top Meat and Dairy Companies Have Same Climate Impact as Biggest Oil and Gas Firms – DeSmog
- Coal – we really are a suicidal species – Global use of coal hit record high in 2024 | Coal | The Guardian
- I talked about the loss of the coral reefs in last week’s Weekend Reads. This is devastating news, but the media still uses words like “may” collapse. It’s not a “may”, it’s a done deal – Critical Florida corals now ‘functionally extinct’ due to off-the-charts ocean temperatures | CNN
- Can the countries of the world PLEASE stand up to the ecocidal US government? US demands EU reverse new climate rules to allow surge in gas imports | Trump administration | The Guardian
- BTW in case you didn’t know ladies, it’s all our fault and the worst bit, a woman is the one saying it – Opinion | How Women Destroyed the West – The New York Times
- This looks like it is going to leave behind record devastation. It’s going to hit today/tomorrow in Jamaica and then it will be on its way to Cuba. Melissa is moving at such a slow speed, due to the heat in the ocean, which means its accumulating more water, and the impact is expected to be catastrophic – Tropical Storm Melissa, soon a hurricane, brings death, floods to Caribbean | Climate Crisis News | Al Jazeera
Finally, watch this video for a systemic view of climate change risks. At the end, they discuss new weather systems we’ve never faced before, but this is no new normal, because next year it will be different again.
Virginia Giuffre’s Memoir was released this week, and it’s received a lot of attention. I honestly don’t know if it’s something I can read, based on what I’ve heard. If you’ve been avoiding the news, this one will give you a sense of what the book covers. The former PM mentioned is an absolute animal, and these are the types of people in the web of Epstein and Maxwell. I’m not sure if we’ll ever know this whole story, but Virginia Giuffre was one brave lady.
I know, lots of grimness in the mix here, but you know, until we really face the risks of this moment, we’re not going to do what we need to do to address any of it. We’re can’t keep growing the way we are growing. Please work really hard to reduce your energy and material consumption by at least 70% and tell your mates to do the same. We need a ripple of massive change right across the global middle class. It’s the only way now.
Visual storytelling
Just a little more casual racism from the White House
Head in the sand
A dick
I support this suggestion
Fair?
Apt!
My content and my friends
It was absolutely brilliant to have both Sadaf Khalid and Oliver Gill on The Shit Show this week. Sadaf talking about sustainable tourism, specifically from a Pakistan perspective was so insightful. And then Oliver Gill discussing the Climate Crisis Club, which I’m part of, and why community is so critical in the fight for our collective future. Thank you both so much for joining David, Richard and I. We appreciate it.
Sorry but these sorts of statements blow my mind. People who say stuff like this should never be allowed near power. A danger to humanity.
Dig into the news
As always, there’s plenty more to read, listen to or watch, so do click through to the reads at the image below, and a reminder, this platform has articles going back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you.
Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.
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Andrea
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