Rethinking our world

The survival of Earth and our species is at risk. The human economy has undermined our ability to survive on the planet much longer. What can we do to change this? Rethinking Our World is an invitation to reflect, challenge, and take action for the future of humanity.

The more well-being humanity has achieved, the more it has become hostage to an insatiable lifestyle that has gradually destroyed our natural resources and biodiversity. And, unfortunately, we only have one planet. If in 1968 there were 3.6 billion people on Earth, by the end of 2019 our celestial body was home to more than 7.7 billion humans. In just fifty years, the number has more than doubled. And with more people, of course, the demand for energy, food, and space has also increased.

Based on surprising studies and data, Maja Göpel challenges established economic theories, developed and conceived for another era. The exploitation of nature for economic gain—without giving it the necessary time to regenerate—is an example of our economic unsustainability. By subjugating natural systems to our needs, we put diversity at risk and require more spending to stabilize it.

In the wake of sustainable development, the urgency of climate change, and humanitarian crises, Rethinking Our World proposes a major shift in economic paradigms, aiming for a more sustainable and rational model, in addition to presenting a clear correlation between environmental issues and distribution problems – which, in turn, are linked to issues of equity and justice.

Maja Göpel thus promotes an ethical, political, social, and economic debate about the present and future of humanity. In Göpel's words: "We will need to renegotiate the factors that define the well-being of tomorrow's people." Because, as former U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy said: "Gross Domestic Product measures everything except what makes life worth living."