Resilience and Numbers

Mobile phones have very short lifespans—on average, around two years. So even though producing a single phone may not seem to require many resources, the total energy embodied in their production was estimated in 2015 at about 1 exajoule per year of use. In the same period, the production of cars embodied about 0.72 exajoules per year of use. This comparison demonstrates the destructive power of short-lived products when multiplied across the entire economy.

A SpaceX Prospectus statement about reaching Kardashev Type II status sounds visionary, but the numbers are brutal. Humanity currently uses only a tiny fraction of the energy needed for even Type I civilisation, let alone the Sun’s full output. This reflection asks whether our obsession with more energy, growth, and abundance is truly progress — or whether civilisation should first learn to use wisely the “energy slaves” it already has.

Two reports measuring progress on the same Sustainable Development Goals present surprisingly different realities. The Global Sustainable Development Report and the Europe Sustainable Development Report rely on similar frameworks, yet their indicators, data sources and weighting lead to conflicting country rankings. A closer look at key differences reveals how methodological choices can reshape the narrative of sustainability.

Over two centuries, energy efficiency has improved dramatically. Engines are cleaner, technologies smarter, and optimisation seems constant. Yet total energy use and material extraction continue to rise. Revisiting Jevons’ 19th-century insight, this reflection explores how efficiency gains can fuel expansion rather than reduction — and asks what it would take for efficiency to translate into sufficiency instead of scale.

We recently held a resilience seminar at Juchowo Farm, exploring how agriculture can adapt to the challenges of climate, consumption, and biodiversity loss. Biomass now accounts for 28% of climate impact and 97% of biodiversity loss. Can models like biodynamic farming offer a path forward? Resilience is no longer a buzzword—it’s a necessity.

Over the past two weeks, my students and I explored how entrepreneurship has evolved from solving essential societal needs to navigating today’s growth-obsessed economy. From steam engines to the internet, innovation has driven immense progress — but are we now stuck in a growth trap? The entrepreneurs of tomorrow may be those who redefine success through sustainability, balance, and purpose.

Poland ranks low in both the European Innovation Scoreboard and the Global Innovation Index, reflecting persistent weaknesses in collaboration, institutional stability, and business environment. Despite strong government R&D support, limited cooperation among research and business sectors continues to hinder progress. The key message: “Collaborate more, reform less.”

The complexity of statistical analysis makes it very easy to misinterpret — or to interpret in whichever way pleases you more. Depending on your agenda, you can use WID or SDR data to prove almost any point you want.

Resilience is a concept that is intuitively understood but surprisingly difficult to measure. For the Earth as a system, the Planetary Boundaries Framework offers a relatively precise set of measures that help define resilience in environmental terms—essentially, how much pressure our planet can absorb before its vital systems are at risk. But when it comes to individuals, organizations, or even entire societies, no such commonly accepted measurement framework exists.

Addressing inequality is not just a matter of fairness but also resilience—societies with greater equality are often better equipped to...

"Let's have some resilient fun" shows some important topics in a more relaxed and joyful way. After all, humour is quoted as a desirable...

"Numbers That Matter: Simple Lessons for a Resilient Life!" Every number tells a story, and in this series, I dive into how those...

More evidence and perspectives are emerging that challenge the 20th-century growth-driven economy.

I changed my family doctor a while ago, and the new one happened to be much more reserved when it came to proposing tests, prescribing drugs, and asking questions. Initially, it made me feel undertreated, when in fact, most likely, I did not need any of those additional precautions. This perspective aligns with what Nassim Nicholas Taleb suggests in Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder. If you go to the doctor, you invite him or her to make suggestions and you also exp

"Let's have some resilient fun" shows some important topics in a more relaxed and joyful way. After all, humour is quoted as a desirable...

A simple solution to the global warming challenge would be to use less energy. However, this is not actually so simple because energy...

The Journey to the High-Income Club What a journey it has been! When I entered university in 1990, Poland's GDP per capita (expressed in...

Numbers That Matter: Simple Lessons for a Resilient Life!" Every number tells a story, and in this series, I dive into how those stories...

What Does a "Strong" Statistical Relation Really Mean? When you hear a researcher claiming that he found a strong correlation between...

How much is entertainment worth? Football match between France and Spain had a high financial weight. The highest paid athlete on the...