Ecocivilization:
Making a World that Works for All
Ecocivilization:
Making a World that Works for All
Jeremy Lent
As climate chaos, inequality, and social fragmentation intensify, humanity faces an imminent choice: continue with a system built on extraction and endless growth, or reimagine civilization itself.
Leading thinker Jeremy Lent offers that reimagination: an ecocivilization, grounded in proven design principles of ecosystems and in humankind's evolved inclination toward justice, mutuality, and dignity.
The book doesn’t merely diagnose what’s broken. It reveals how our current civilization - designed for exploitation, accumulation, and elite power - is functioning exactly as it was intended. In its place, Ecocivilization charts a radical yet feasible alternative.
As climate chaos, inequality, and social fragmentation intensify, humanity faces an imminent choice: continue with a system built on extraction and endless growth, or reimagine civilization itself.
Leading thinker Jeremy Lent offers that reimagination: an ecocivilization, grounded in proven design principles of ecosystems and in humankind's evolved inclination toward justice, mutuality, and dignity.
The book doesn’t merely diagnose what’s broken. It reveals how our current civilization - designed for exploitation, accumulation, and elite power - is functioning exactly as it was intended. In its place, Ecocivilization charts a radical yet feasible alternative.
Ecocivilization:
Making a World that Works for All
Ecocivilization:
Making a World that Works for All
Jeremy Lent
As climate chaos, inequality, and social fragmentation intensify, humanity faces an imminent choice: continue with a system built on extraction and endless growth, or reimagine civilization itself.
Leading thinker Jeremy Lent offers that reimagination: an ecocivilization, grounded in proven design principles of ecosystems and in humankind's evolved inclination toward justice, mutuality, and dignity.
The book doesn’t merely diagnose what’s broken. It reveals how our current civilization - designed for exploitation, accumulation, and elite power - is functioning exactly as it was intended. In its place, Ecocivilization charts a radical yet feasible alternative.
As climate chaos, inequality, and social fragmentation intensify, humanity faces an imminent choice: continue with a system built on extraction and endless growth, or reimagine civilization itself.
Leading thinker Jeremy Lent offers that reimagination: an ecocivilization, grounded in proven design principles of ecosystems and in humankind's evolved inclination toward justice, mutuality, and dignity.
The book doesn’t merely diagnose what’s broken. It reveals how our current civilization - designed for exploitation, accumulation, and elite power - is functioning exactly as it was intended. In its place, Ecocivilization charts a radical yet feasible alternative.
Ecocivilization:
Making a World that Works for All
Jeremy Lent
As climate chaos, inequality, and social fragmentation intensify, humanity faces an imminent choice: continue with a system built on extraction and endless growth, or reimagine civilization itself.
Leading thinker Jeremy Lent offers that reimagination: an ecocivilization, grounded in proven design principles of ecosystems and in humankind's evolved inclination toward justice, mutuality, and dignity.
The book doesn’t merely diagnose what’s broken. It reveals how our current civilization - designed for exploitation, accumulation, and elite power - is functioning exactly as it was intended. In its place, Ecocivilization charts a radical yet feasible alternative.
"A breathtaking account of the why, what, and how of ecocivilization. As the darkness descends, Jeremy has shone a beautiful light towards the other world that is possible."
"A breathtaking account of the why, what, and how of ecocivilization. As the darkness descends, Jeremy has shone a beautiful light towards the other world that is possible."
"A breathtaking account of the why, what, and how of ecocivilization. As the darkness descends, Jeremy has shone a beautiful light towards the other world that is possible."
-Dr. Gail Bradbrook, Co-founder Extinction Rebellion
-Dr. Gail Bradbrook, Co-founder Extinction Rebellion
-Dr. Gail Bradbrook, Co-founder Extinction Rebellion
Explore a Future Both Hopeful and Practical
Explore a Future Both Hopeful and Practical
Technology reconfigured to empower people rather than entrench centralized power
Cities designed around wellbeing, community, and balance with nature
Democracy reinvented so regular citizens - rather than oligarchs—shape collective destiny
Corporations legally restructured to serve life and people, not just profit
Enforceable Rights of Nature legislation protecting all of Earth’s sentient beings
Technology reconfigured to empower people rather than entrench centralized power
Cities designed around wellbeing, community, and balance with nature
Democracy reinvented so regular citizens - rather than oligarchs—shape collective destiny
Corporations legally restructured to serve life and people, not just profit
Enforceable Rights of Nature legislation protecting all of Earth’s sentient beings
Backed by years of research, Ecocivilization goes beyond critique to articulate a coherent achievable vision for humanity's next chapter.
Both a roadmap and manifesto - a call to imagine, and build,
a better future on a regenerated earth.
“This is a masterpiece equal to none in holding a well-constructed mirror to us as one human family. The beauty and power of the narrative woven here is a treat everyone must not miss.”
“This is a masterpiece equal to none in holding a well-constructed mirror to us as one human family. The beauty and power of the narrative woven here is a treat everyone must not miss.”
“This is a masterpiece equal to none in holding a well-constructed mirror to us as one human family. The beauty and power of the narrative woven here is a treat everyone must not miss.”
-Mamphela Ramphele, ex-chair, Club of Rome; anti-apartheid leader
-Mamphela Ramphele, ex-chair, Club of Rome; anti-apartheid leader
-Mamphela Ramphele, ex-chair, Club of Rome; anti-apartheid leader
Explore a Future Both Hopeful and Practical
Technology reconfigured to empower people rather than entrench centralized power
Cities designed around wellbeing, community, and balance with nature
Democracy reinvented so regular citizens - rather than oligarchs—shape collective destiny
Corporations legally restructured to serve life and people, not just profit
Enforceable Rights of Nature legislation protecting all of Earth’s sentient beings
Backed by years of research, Ecocivilization goes beyond critique to articulate a coherent achievable vision for humanity's next chapter.
Both a roadmap and manifesto - a call to imagine, and build,
a better future on a regenerated earth.
Explore a Future Both Hopeful and Practical
Technology reconfigured to empower people rather than entrench centralized power
Cities designed around wellbeing, community, and balance with nature
Democracy reinvented so regular citizens - rather than oligarchs—shape collective destiny
Corporations legally restructured to serve life and people, not just profit
Enforceable Rights of Nature legislation protecting all of Earth’s sentient beings
Backed by years of research, Ecocivilization goes beyond critique to articulate a coherent achievable vision for humanity's next chapter.
Both a roadmap and manifesto - a call to imagine, and build,
a better future on a regenerated earth.
About Jeremy Lent
About Jeremy Lent
Jeremy Lent, described by Guardian journalist George Monbiot as “one of the greatest thinkers of our age,” is an author and speaker whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilization’s existential crisis, and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future.
His award-winning book, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning, examines the way humans have made meaning from the cosmos from hunter-gatherer times to the present day. His more recent award-winning The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe offers a solid foundation for an integrative worldview that could lead humanity to a sustainable, flourishing future.
Lent is the founder and host of the Deep Transformation Network, an online global community of over 5,000 members exploring pathways toward a life-affirming future on a regenerated Earth. Lent has written extensively about the vision and specifics of an ecological civilization, and is a founding member of the Ecocivilization Coalition, a worldwide alliance of changemakers coming together to act as a transformation catalyst in service of this potential future. He is president of the Coalition’s parent, the Institute for Ecological Civilization, and is a board member on the executive committee of the Global Compassion Coalition.
Lent is recognized as a leading authority on the theme of an ecological civilization. He has published numerous articles on this and related topics since 2018, in media such as Open Democracy, Salon, Common Dreams, Counterpunch, Alternet, Kosmos Journal, and YES! Magazine, where his article headlined an issue featuring ecological civilization. He has contributed several chapters on the topic to book-length anthologies exploring positive futures, as well as journal articles.
Advance Praise
Praise
Praise
Bill McKibben
Author, The End of Nature, co-founder of 350.org and Third Act
“We need to think big—the crisis we're in demands nothing less. And this book does just that. It will fire your imagination.”
Kate Raworth
Author, Doughnut Economics
“This powerful book charts a visionary course. Read it and join the crew.”
Kohei Saito
Author, Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto
“At once sobering and hopeful, this book offers a compelling vision of a future grounded in cooperation, commons, and care for the Earth—reminding us that another way of organizing society is both necessary and possible.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Founder of MBSR, author, Full Catastrophe Living
and Coming to Our Senses
“A stratospheric accomplishment that is simultaneously entirely down to earth.”
James Gustave Speth
Co-Founder, Natural Resources Defense Council
"Lent's Ecocivilization is a magnificent undertaking, a brilliantly informed guide through the past and into radically different futures. He shows that humanity is indeed at a turning point in its story, and he summons us to a great project. A must read."
Douglas Rushkoff
Author, Team Human
"All is not lost, and there are more islands of coherence in this apparently dying civilization than you might expect. It's time to act in ways that mirror life's best strategies for collaborative flourishing. I am committed to Ecocivilization."
Riane Eisler
Author, The Chalice and the Blade, The Real Wealth of Nations, and Nurturing Our Humanity
“An amazing, passionate book that takes us though our past, present, and most importantly, the future we can, and must, create.”
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Co-director, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology; Co-author ofJourney of the Universe
“Jeremy Lent’s book is not only an insightful analysis of our present social, political, economic, and ecological challenges, it is a vital call toward transformation of our Earth community. It highlights a major paradigm shift toward a viable future in the aspirations of ecological civilization. This book will be a critical compass in leading the way toward a generative movement of movements."
Caroline Lucas
Former Leader, Green Party of England and Wales
“A brilliant and deeply necessary book, Ecocivilization lays the groundwork for a new chapter in humanity’s story. Urgent and compelling, Lent’s vision, eloquence, and unflinching moral clarity have never been more essential.”
Carlos Alvarez Pereira
Secretary General, The Club of Rome
"At all levels, the personal, the social and the global, humanity is facing decisive challenges.Jeremy´s work is unique in developing a comprehensive approach to what we could and should do. It is mandatory reading for whoever is concerned with the future of humanity on Earth."
Fritjof Capra
Author of The Web of Life, coauthor of The Systems View of Life
“This is an inspiring and tremendously hopeful book, needed more than ever in our current dark times.”
Bill McKibben
Author, The End of Nature, co-founder of 350.org and Third Act
“We need to think big—the crisis we're in demands nothing less. And this book does just that. It will fire your imagination.”
Kate Raworth
Author, Doughnut Economics
“This powerful book charts a visionary course. Read it and join the crew.”
Kohei Saito
Author, Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto
“At once sobering and hopeful, this book offers a compelling vision of a future grounded in cooperation, commons, and care for the Earth—reminding us that another way of organizing society is both necessary and possible.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Founder of MBSR, author, Full Catastrophe Living
and Coming to Our Senses
“A stratospheric accomplishment that is simultaneously entirely down to earth.”
James Gustave Speth
Co-Founder, Natural Resources Defense Council
"Lent's Ecocivilization is a magnificent undertaking, a brilliantly informed guide through the past and into radically different futures. He shows that humanity is indeed at a turning point in its story, and he summons us to a great project. A must read."
Douglas Rushkoff
Author, Team Human
"All is not lost, and there are more islands of coherence in this apparently dying civilization than you might expect. It's time to act in ways that mirror life's best strategies for collaborative flourishing. I am committed to Ecocivilization."
Riane Eisler
Author, The Chalice and the Blade, The Real Wealth of Nations, and Nurturing Our Humanity
“An amazing, passionate book that takes us though our past, present, and most importantly, the future we can, and must, create.”
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Co-director, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology; Co-author ofJourney of the Universe
“Jeremy Lent’s book is not only an insightful analysis of our present social, political, economic, and ecological challenges, it is a vital call toward transformation of our Earth community. It highlights a major paradigm shift toward a viable future in the aspirations of ecological civilization. This book will be a critical compass in leading the way toward a generative movement of movements."
Caroline Lucas
Former Leader, Green Party of England and Wales
“A brilliant and deeply necessary book, Ecocivilization lays the groundwork for a new chapter in humanity’s story. Urgent and compelling, Lent’s vision, eloquence, and unflinching moral clarity have never been more essential.”
Carlos Alvarez Pereira
Secretary General, The Club of Rome
"At all levels, the personal, the social and the global, humanity is facing decisive challenges.Jeremy´s work is unique in developing a comprehensive approach to what we could and should do. It is mandatory reading for whoever is concerned with the future of humanity on Earth."
Fritjof Capra
Author of The Web of Life, coauthor of The Systems View of Life
“This is an inspiring and tremendously hopeful book, needed more than ever in our current dark times.”
Advance Praise
Fritjof Capra
Author of The Tao of Physics
“According to complexity theory, new order may emerge spontaneously in all complex systems in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. In this beautifully written volume, Jeremy Lent applies this scientific insight to the current state of the world, describing in eloquent detail the emergence of a new ecological civilization. This is an inspiring and tremendously hopeful book, needed more than ever in our current dark times.”
Riane Eisler
Author of The Wealth of Nations
“A passionate book that takes us though our past, present, and most importantly, the future we can, and must, create.”
James Gustave Speth
Co-Founder, Natural Resources Defense Council
“Lent's Ecocivilization is a magnificent undertaking, a brilliantly informed guide through the past and into radically different futures. He shows that humanity is indeed at a turning point in its story, and he summons us to a great project. A must-read.”
Bill McKibben
Author of Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities & The Durable Future
“Our civilization is coming to an end. And thus: It is high time we aimed at co-creating or returning to eco-civilization ... I see there as being no higher calling than following this aim. This book is an intellectually impressive and impassioned guide to what it actually could look like.”
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Co-Director, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology; Co-Author of Journey of the Universe
“Jeremy Lent’s book is not only an insightful analysis of our present social, political, economic, and ecological challenges, it is a vital call toward transformation of our Earth community. It highlights a major paradigm shift toward a viable future in the aspirations of ecological civilization. This book will be a critical compass in leading the way toward a generative movement of movements.”
Rupert Read
Co-Director, Climate Majority Project
Author of Why Climate Breakdown Matters
“Our civilization is coming to an end. And thus: It is high time we aimed at co-creating or returning to eco-civilization ... I see there as being no higher calling than following this aim. This book is an intellectually impressive and impassioned guide to what it actually could look like.”
Advance Praise
Bill McKibben
Author, The End of Nature, co-founder of 350.org and Third Act
“We need to think big—the crisis we're in demands nothing less. And this book does just that. It will fire your imagination.”
Kohei Saito
Author, Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto
“At once sobering and hopeful, this book offers a compelling vision of a future grounded in cooperation, commons, and care for the Earth—reminding us that another way of organizing society is both necessary and possible.”
James Gustave Speth
Co-Founder, Natural Resources Defense Council
"Lent's Ecocivilization is a magnificent undertaking, a brilliantly informed guide through the past and into radically different futures. He shows that humanity is indeed at a turning point in its story, and he summons us to a great project. A must read."
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Co-director, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology; Co-author ofJourney of the Universe
“Jeremy Lent’s book is not only an insightful analysis of our present social, political, economic, and ecological challenges, it is a vital call toward transformation of our Earth community. It highlights a major paradigm shift toward a viable future in the aspirations of ecological civilization. This book will be a critical compass in leading the way toward a generative movement of movements."
Carlos Alvarez Pereira
Secretary General, The Club of Rome
"At all levels, the personal, the social and the global, humanity is facing decisive challenges.Jeremy´s work is unique in developing a comprehensive approach to what we could and should do. It is mandatory reading for whoever is concerned with the future of humanity on Earth."
Darcia Narvaez
Author, Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality; host of EvolvedNest.org
"Lent has taken up the questions and needs of the day and put together an integrative response to show our way forward. Not only does he lay out the pathway that led us to our polycrisis, he provides an outline of how to transform the future. It's an engaging book that everyone should read now!"
Richard Heinberg
Senior Fellow, Post Carbon Institute; author, Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival
"Lent makes a strong case that ecological civilization is indeed possible. Further, he charts a path to get there from here. If you happen to like civilization and want it to stick around, this is the indispensable prescription for what ails it—and us."
Tomas Björkman
Author, The World We Create; founder, Ekskäret Foundation
"Ecocivilization offers a clear-eyed and compelling vision of how humanity might redesign its economies, institutions, and cultures to work in service of life rather than extraction. One of the most hopeful and coherent articulations of how a flourishing, life-centred civilisation could realistically emerge."
Rupert Read
Co-Director of the Climate Majority Project; author, Why Climate Breakdown Matters.
“Our civilisation is coming to an end. And thus: It is high time we aimed at co-creating or returning to eco-civilisation. Whether or not one sees any real chance of us succeeding in doing so at scale this side of collapse, there is no higher calling than following this aim. This book is an intellectually impressive and impassioned guide to what it actually could look like.”
Kate Raworth
Author, Doughnut Economics
“This powerful book charts a visionary course. Read it and join the crew.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Founder of MBSR, author, Full Catastrophe Living
and Coming to Our Senses
“A stratospheric accomplishment that is simultaneously entirely down to earth.”
Douglas Rushkoff
Author, Team Human
"All is not lost, and there are more islands of coherence in this apparently dying civilization than you might expect. It's time to act in ways that mirror life's best strategies for collaborative flourishing. I am committed to Ecocivilization."
Riane Eisler
Author, The Chalice and the Blade, The Real Wealth of Nations, and Nurturing Our Humanity
“An amazing, passionate book that takes us though our past, present, and most importantly, the future we can, and must, create.”
Caroline Lucas
Former Leader, Green Party of England and Wales
“A brilliant and deeply necessary book, Ecocivilization lays the groundwork for a new chapter in humanity’s story. Urgent and compelling, Lent’s vision, eloquence, and unflinching moral clarity have never been more essential.”
Fritjof Capra
Author of The Web of Life, coauthor of The Systems View of Life
“This is an inspiring and tremendously hopeful book, needed more than ever in our current dark times.”
David C. Korten
Author of When Corporations Rule the World
"This book provides a profound understanding of our current challenges and prompts us to explore critically our options for what must come next."
Roman Krznaric
Aithor of The Good Ancestor and History for Tomorrow
"Powerful and important. Jeremy Lent makes a brilliantly convincing case that another world is possible. This is smart thinking at its biggest and boldest."
David Bollier
Author of Think Like a Commoner and commons activist-scholar at the Schumacher Center for a New Economics
"Finally, a blazing ray of hope! Synthesizing the work of leading thinkers and activists from around the globe, Jeremy Lent deftly explains how humanity can build a new socio-ecological order that moves beyond the pathologies of modern capitalism."
David Orr
Author, Ecological Literacy: Education and the Transition to a Postmodern World
"Lent has been to the mountain top and here describes a far better, more human and humane civilization on the horizon. Ecocivilization is about visionary imagination that builds on our inherently social disposition and our affinity for justice. This is an important book and deserves close reading, debate, and action."
Satish Kumar
Founder, Schumacher College
An inspiring vision for a new paradigm in which humanity can live at ease with itself and also live in harmony with our precious planet Earth. This life-affirming worldview is urgently needed to insure the wellbeing of present as well as future generations.