Today, citizens and scientists alike are saying that humanity has missed the window for avoiding climate extremes and ecosystem decay. Our world has become an increasingly damaged habitat that threatens our civilization as we know it.

How can we grapple with—and talk about—the reality that our ecological, economic, and social systems may unravel in some frightening ways beyond our control? How could communities be disrupted due to an increasingly fragile civilization? What should we do in our families, our communities, and our region of Atlantic Canada?

“We find ourselves living on unstable ground. It is time to give up the notion of experts and people in power leading the way. We need to follow our own noses. This report encourages us to find stability in clean air, local food, sane politics, and fair and just communities. I encourage you to read it, roll it up, put it under your arm, carry it with you to your next community gathering and roll it out for others to share,” said Gregory Heming, Senior Advisor to the Centre for Local Prosperity.

This report captures the essence of twelve virtual discussion sessions from May 12 to June 17, 2020, convened by the Centre for Local Prosperity, with an invited group of delegates from across the region and internationally at Thinkers Lodge, Pugwash, Nova Scotia. The deep and brave discussions captured in this report shows how communities in our region, and globally, can best prepare and manage through potential collapse. These deliberations have sought to apply the many large-scale global changes now underway to local readiness solutions that are applicable for Atlantic Canadian communities.