Idea in Brief:
The second industrial revolution (Mass, Lean, and "Bottom-Lines") created unprecedented growth in humanity a century ago, but this growth has reached limits, and creates a global systemic risk.
The human population footprint expanded into the former wilderness, where viral reservoirs thrive in rodents, birds, and bats. COVID-19 is the fifth pandemic of the 21st century, and we can expect more to follow.
Societal growth now requires new technologies and new management theory, as envisioned in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Supply chains must be local, visible, automated, and leverage Digital Factory Twins. And economic metrics must balance People and the Planet, as well as Prosperity.
These lectures discuss Systems Thinking concepts: Reinforcing and Balancing Loops, Limits to Growth and Shifting the Burden models.
Conclusion: Tragedy of the Commons and some some thoughts for the future.
Additional Reading:
NYT: Deforestation brings Bat-borne Virus Home to Roost. (2022) Habitat loss and food shortages have pushed bats into closer proximity to horses and humans, fueling Hendra virus spillover, a new study suggests.
What does the Delta Variant Mean for the US Economy? (New Yorker July 2021)
WSJ: Economic Costs Accumulate over Concerns of Delta Variant. Food for thought: Bat Sneezed posits that the physical product supply chain could be replaced by Digital Factory Twins. How would Factory Twins impact the challenges faced in this story?
And this one: WSJ: Shipping Options Dry Up as Businesses Try to Recover from Pandemic. Note comments that shippers are building more ships, but the bottlenecks are at the ports. Seems like a Shift the Burden onto the transportation sector. Seems ripe for disruption.
I learn so much from students! đ Many thanks to John W, who pointed class towards this video (not mine). Discusses the rise of mass production, Milton Friedman's shareholder capitalism, Deng Xiaoping and China's Second Revolution, and finally climate change and shareholder capitalism. Thanks John!