Do you think a collapse is coming?

No. There's still a lot of understandable pessimism on this: we've known for decades that this is a problem, we are still failing to take appropriate action, powerful interests want to maintain the status quo of inaction, and even many voters still don't want to do anything or don't think there's a problem. This has carried us forward to a point where there is already a worrying amount of environmental destruction and there's more in the pipeline.

But I think there's reason for hope as well. There are already falling emissions across Europe and even the US. There are advances in carbon neutral technology and energy sources. And increasingly we see people demanding action from their governments and voting with this in mind.

Right now I see ourselves a bit like a student who procrastinated until the day before an assignment is due. We've ignored the problem because we prioritized our short-term comfort but now the issue is too pressing and we're finally acting before it's too late. It will be uncomfortable, our solution won't be as good as it could have been, and it could still come down to the wire; but I think when we actually feel enough pressure to come together as a society and act on something we can do amazing things.

Again, pessimism is understandable. It's natural to feel powerless because we're inundated with bad news and there's not really anything we can do about it individually. There's no amount of meat I can avoid or flights I can choose not to take that will move the needle on global warming. But positive change is happening anyway. It's an open question whether it will be enough or in time but I think we're really starting to move in the right direction on this as a society.

One thing I would suggest, in addition to any lifestyle changes you feel comfortable with, is to push for political change. This can take the form of activism or it can be as simple as voicing your concerns in public and normalizing the idea that addressing climate change needs to be a priority and that we should vote accordingly and reward candidates who take real action. It's already natural in our every day lives to speak out against racism, sexism, etc. but we need to put the same amount of effort or more into pushing for policy solutions to climate change. Individually most of us can't do much, but if we push each other with a message of we can do this and let's get it done then our voices will be amplified and we'll be able to bring about the change we need.

Do I think any sort of collapse is coming? No. There are worrying things currently happening – the rise of the far-right political leaders, the increasingly-warmer winters and the increasingly-hotter summers, the increasing Russian militancy and offensive actions online – but I don't think all is going to fall down. I'm no expert, of course – I don't think many in this thread will be – but you never asked for expertise.

I have to admit, though, that the thought had crossed my mind. It might collapse. Of interest is the fact that "might" is the weakest conjunctive modal verb in the English language: it says "it's not out of the realm of possibility, and that's all I'm suggesting". So, it all might go down. There are worrying signs. But then, the human civilization has survived through two world wars – having developed an existential crisis, granted, but we're here.

I think we might get scuffed and hopefully learn some good lessons from it, but we'll be alright.

I think an environmental collapse is coming and that a societal collapse can follow along with that. I feel more and more urgency to prepare somehow, but not sure where to start aside from doing my best to keep my impact on the environment minimal. For example, do I learn some useful skill like gardening, fishing, etc? Do I start stockpiling water and canned food? Which of these things, if any, would actually help me? I don't know and feel pretty lost as to what I can do to prepare myself.

I think calling it a 'collapse' is somewhat tainting the conversation.

There are changes coming, and once they get started they are going to touch every corner of the planet. Out the other side, our systems of governance, economics, travel, production, and communication are going to be radically different. That goes for every single country on Earth.

This can be a good thing or a bad thing. Crisis is opportunity, after all. My money is on a large climate-driven natural disaster with a tens of billions price tag, but not in some place that can be ignored - places like Hong Kong, New York City, or Miami... possibly all of them at once, if the antarctic collapse raises the sea level by a couple of feet in the space of a couple of weeks. This seems not only likely but inevitable within the next decade.

I was enjoying reading about the world economic forum in Davos this year. The elites are scared shitless about this right now, it'll be their heads on the chopping block if things go badly, and they know this. They are taking it all seriously for the first time.

Is a collapse coming? No. Is a collapse already here? Yes. Two of them in fact. The first, if the Holocene extinction and the collapse in biodiversity it will bring.

The second is the collapse in the world order of Occidental hegemony anchored by the global dominance of the United States. Irrespective of any looming crisis/implosion of capitalism, the Post-War, Post-Colonial, and Post-Cold-War age of geopolitics is ending. This is due in part of the collapse of America's empire.

Will there be massive unrest as America collapses? No. We are seeing and will continue to see the same sort of protracted collapse experienced by the UK after its empire collapsed. Government austerity, less luxuries, less affordable or smaller houses and cars, more debt, more work, more suicide etc. America is more a debtor/importer nation than a creditor/producer nation. It props itself up with meaningless wars and farcical political theater. Consider the parallels with the late USSR with Afghanistan.

For centuries before colonialism the Middle East, East Asia and Africa were all home to considerable people and nations capable of competing and exceeding European nations. As the colonial legacy fades and nations like China, India, Ethiopia, Argentina etc. make gains so too will fade the privileges afforded the hegemonic powers. The collapse of American dominance may not be as severe as a Hollywood movie. But it is also not something to ignore.

I think the environment works on a much slower time scale than we are used to, and that our ingenuity will hide the immediate effects of any serious issues long enough and hard enough that the collapse will happen without people knowing just how bad it really is until it hits a tipping point. The earlier that happens, the easier it will be to fix. Unfortunately I think we'll probably drag it out to 2100 - 2200 and it will be a real kick in the balls for everyone alive at that point.

I think The United Kingdom may have a rude awakening if tonight's vote on Brexit goes poorly.

Collapse? Maybe not quite, but I think the underpinning systemic issues within British society are gradually coming to a head.

I think a lot of satisfied people in western democracies have forgotten that politics actually matters in their life. A lot. And they've taken semi-decent governance for granted.

Again, I don't know about collapse, but the world is certainly much more volatile and uncertain that it's been for at least a couple decades.

Somehow that has to resolve. It doesn't have to happen in 2019 or the next decade, but right now it feels like something's gotta give "soon"

yes but it will come after im dead. which is why im not having kids

our current economic system is unsustainable, and mostly built on debt and promises. The idea of endless growth powers western society, and as its become more and more unsustainable, the effects (income inequality, business centralization, govt. corruption) have become more and more pronounced.

The reason you can say with certainty that an economic collapse is coming, though, is because its happened before. Capitalism is cyclical, like a water wheel powered by a river of greed. Eventually the circle completes, and it starts all over. It just hasnt happened in awhile, but the idea that it somehow certainly wont is as comical as suggesting that it will certainly happen tomorrow.

It WILL happen, and probably soon. But it wont be the end of the world - a lot of people are just going to lose their homes, jobs and cars again.

Any gradual-enough collapse will just looks like a slow decline.