Alfonso Reyes Chair analyzes the planet’s environmental issues

“The ‘eco-modernist’ belief that we can escape future harm from past pollution is more like wishful thinking than scientific thinking.” This is one of author Jem Bendell’s ideas which he develops in his latest book: Breaking Together – a freedom-loving response to collapse.

The book, which was presented as one of the activities performed by the Alfonso Reyes Chair at Tecnológico de Monterrey, delves into adaptation to the climate crisis and potential societal and ecological collapse.

Ana Laura Santamaría, Director of the Alfonso Reyes Chair, said that they took on the literary proposal by British writer Jem Bendell because it’s a necessary conversation in the midst of a time of enormous challenges.

“We welcomed the idea with enthusiasm, confident that its documented critical voice and proposal of a different relationship with the Earth and the interconnection of which we’re all a part could open us up to new perspectives.”

“The Alfonso Reyes Chair, which was founded 25 years ago by Tecnológico de Monterrey, has distinguished itself as an open, plural, and diverse platform for conversation with the most representative and influential voices in the contemporary world.”

Collapse as an alternative to reconstruction

In his Alfonso Reyes Chair presentation, Jem Bendell spoke about how he developed the concept of deep adaptationproposed in his book.

It all began in 2017, when Jem’s career in sustainability took a drastic turn with his discovery that the corporatesolutions he had spent years developing were insufficient in the face of the size of the climate problem.

“My work in corporate sustainability was based on the false premise that we had time for incremental reforms of global capitalism. That isn’t the case.”

So, Bendell proposes a vision of deep adaptation in his book that invites us to prepare for societal and ecological collapse, rather than trying to avoid it.

In order to prepare, he suggests personal transformations aimed at strengthening social and community ties, which are essential for facing an uncertain future.

He also invites us to reconnect with nature and ancestral knowledge. “The fact that indigenous peoples now live on lands where 80% of the planet’s remaining biodiversity is concentrated, when they only represent 4% of the world’s population, beckons a little humility, respect, curiosity, and solidarity.”

“The Alfonso Reyes Chair has distinguished itself as an open, plural, and diverse platform for conversation with the most representative and influential voices in the contemporary world.” - Ana Laura Santamaría

According to the author, collapse shouldn’t be seen as a defeat, but as an opportunity to rebuild our relationshipswith ourselves, others, and the planet.

What’s more, “It’s not just the climate that should be considered a disaster, but how the economic systems that caused the disaster then severely delayed and distorted our response.”

According to the author, “The modern monetary system is a matrix of death that shapes our lives, so that we collectively destroy the living world.”

For this reason, he proposes making changes at a community level, prioritizing local and sustainable solutions such as creating alternative currencies and implementing sustainable human environment designs.

“Bendell’s book offers a radical vision of the current climate crisis and is key to understanding ecological and societal crises collaboratively from a human perspective,” said Roxana Vicente, research professor at the School of Humanities and Education on Tec de Monterrey’s Mexico City campus.

For Miriam Gleason, research professor at the School of Humanities and Education on the Tec’s Mexico City campus: “The book is also a guide to finding purpose and community in the midst of uncertainty.”

About Jem Bendell 

Jem Bendell is an academic, author, and sustainability expert, known for his critical approach to climate change and the crisis of civilization.

For over 20 years he has led international initiatives in sustainable business and finance, including as Professor of Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cumbria.

In 2017, Bendell decided to take a sabbatical to delve deeper into the latest developments in climate science.

As a result, he published the paper Deep Adaptation, which went viral and challenged traditional narratives by proposing that we prepare for societal and ecological collapse, rather than trying to avoid it.

This work laid the groundwork for his book Breaking Together, translated into Spanish as Cayendo Juntos.

In 2023, at the age of 50, Bendell left his academic position in the UK and embarked on a new path of personal discovery.

He is currently focused on developing a regenerative farm in Indonesia and playing devotional music for communities. His work combines elements of sustainability, spirituality, and activism, highlighting the need to prepare ourselves emotionally and socially for an uncertain future.

The book Cayendo Juntos is published by Tec de Monterrey in collaboration with Nola Editores for Latin America in both print and digital versions.

This book was launched at the Monterrey International Book Fair and in Mexico City, at Huerto Roma Verde.

YOU’LL ALSO WANT TO READ: