Crisis or collapse? Debate on the understanding of the socio-ecological relationship

Abstract

The text questions the ambiguous use of the word  "crisis," arguing it has been co-opted by those in power to manage socio-ecological deterioration rather than resolve it. This "polycrisis" narrative creates a normalized exception benefiting certain groups and neutralizing fundamental solutions. The author proposes replacing "crisis" with "socio-ecological collapse," a more precise term reflecting the exceeding of multiple planetary boundaries and irreversible changes. In Latin America, peripheral economies suffer collapse scenarios exacerbated by centuries of extraction and inequality. Naming the collapse disrupts reactionary narratives offering false solutions. The text invites a politicized reinterpretation of our relationship with the biophysical environment.