All socio-economic systems have a collection of stories of how the world works. They bring about a unity of understanding and behaviour in the members of the society. But the time may come when these stories no longer serve the people because of something significant changing in the environment they live in.
<b>The iceberg model</b> The iceberg model is a useful tool from Systems Thinking which helps us think and talk about systems.
NEEDS PICTURE https://ecochallenge.org/iceberg-model/ CREDITING ECOCHALLENGE
The diagram shows a possible set of causes that lead to the EVENT "Catching a cold". The next question after "What just happened?" is "What trends have there been over time?" Take time to read the suggested answer. Then follow the chain of question and answer down to the possible mental models.
NB the causes listed might be incorrect, there may be other causes not listed, particularly ones that have a major impact. So please only read these models as a thinking and discussion tool, and NOT fact.
<b>Our predicament</b>
In the sections that follow I show why I propose that each of these mental models have, in some way, led to the predicament we face: <ul> <li>The creed of debt fuelled growth</li> <li>The belief that tech will save us</li> <li>The belief that humans are separate from - and have dominion over - nature</li> <ul>