Doing Utopia — why now? At the heart of the contemporary global polycrisis lies a fundamental flaw in perception: a worldview of separation that isolates humans from each other and from the natural world.

The past century, particularly the last 50 years, represents a period of unprecedented anthropogenic pressure on the planet's biophysical systems. This era, characterized by exponential growth in population, consumption, and industrial activity, has initiated a cascade of environmental degradation.

The data I’ve accumulated shows the unprecedented degradation has been enabled and accelerated by a set of powerful, interlocking philosophical and economic engines that dominate modern civilization – our misperceived superiority over nature and wasteful consumption capitalism.

To our own fault, modern humanity has allowed itself to be conditioned by these harmful agents to disregard nature’s health as the very basis of its own. At the heart of our ecological crisis lies an unnatural belief that humanity is separate from, and superior to the natural world, and nature is a resource to be exploited, not respected, loved and cared for.

In sharp contrast to this flawed perspective, the planet’s most enduring Indigenous cultures have a relational worldview. Their very sense of identity and well-being are derived from an intricate web of symbiotic interactions with others and the natural world.

There’s a need for a fundamental ontological shift — a return to, and a modern re-articulation of this relational worldview. We must be willing to foster and enforce new worldwide values, new social contracts, and new ways of living and being human harmoniously together on a finite and precious planet. It’s our moment to come together with zero tolerance for inertia. We owe it to ourselves and to the generations that follow.

Increasing humanity’s sense of urgency, its collective capacity for impactful democratic action, its knowledge of what’s possible using innovation, and how to strategically plan for and co-create novel solutions are important elements of the Doing Utopia mission. As a researcher, strategist, innovator, technologist, and futurist, with more than three decades of professional experience, my goal is to focus intensely on the present moment to provide you with well-researched, analyzed, and viable pathways forward.

This challenging, unprecedented moment in our history – as so many do – has the potential to be deeply, positively transformative on many levels if we open, widen, and diversify our perspectives. So, another goal is to offer very bold concepts to do just that. I challenge the status quo.

In early parts I establish philosophical and ethical foundations. Then, I draw from a wellspring of ancient wisdom and modern systems insights to outline progressive social and economic models, innovation concepts, and strategic action plans. Everything I outline is possible today, and I define and critique the odds from an actuarial perspective so we can fully understand what we’re up against.

When it’s all said and done, as a caring human, with over a half-century of self-evolution experience, my most basic and important goal in writing and Doing Utopia is to convince you there’s no better time than now to finally move forward collectively, more intelligently, collaboratively, and passionately across generations and continents in stewardship of one another and Mother Earth. A heartfelt global transformation is required, and I believe we’re ready for so much more than what the status quo offers.