“This article is an illustration of the contribution which hunter-gatherer environmental variability theory can make to the ongoing debate about present-day climate change.”

Introduction

This article is an illustration of the contribution which hunter-gatherer environmental variability theory can make to the ongoing debate about present-day climate change.

The definition of hunter-gatherer environmental variability theory is:

Humankind has the individual, social and societal deliberate behaviour patterns of reasoning, social, nomadic, tool-using, omnivorous hunter-gatherers who were adapted to environmental variability.

Each term in the definition of this theory is explored with regards to its relevance to climate change. This simplified exercise uses non-technical language but demonstrates the explanatory power of this theory in contributing to decision making.

“The complexities of worldwide environmental change which now face all societies present humankind’s intellectual abilities with unprecedented challenges.”

Reasoning

Reasoning is the means by which humankind promptly alters its behaviour in response to opportunities and threats. Humankind’s intellectual abilities are appropriate to a hunter-gatherer extended family whose principal opportunities and threats included the small-scale effects of local environmental, principally climatic, variability. [The hunter-gatherer extended family typically comprised c. 25 to c. 35 members.] The complexities of worldwide environmental change which now face all societies present humankind’s intellectual abilities with unprecedented challenges. Consequently, human reasoning may well lack some of the resources to exploit all opportunities in, or deal with all threats to, an industrial society.

“… people generally identify emotionally most strongly with the members of their extended family.”

Social

Since the extended family was the hunter-gatherer living and working unit, individuals cannot survive prolonged periods of isolation, even mentally, let alone physically. Individual hunter-gatherers were wholly dependent upon their extended family for their survival. Consequently, in large societies, people generally identify emotionally most strongly with the members of their extended family. The longer-term interests of society as a whole are usually a lesser concern. In a crisis, people tend to be more interested in the safety of their nuclear and extended family over the next few days, months and years than the fate of society in future decades. Many decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020–22 in England reflected this anxiety about the short-term wellbeing of individuals’ extended families.

“As a hunter-gatherer, humankind had a nomadic way of life which is evidenced in its present-day leisure activities, many of which involve journeys.”

Nomadic

Nomadism and travel

As a hunter-gatherer, humankind had a nomadic way of life which is evidenced in its present-day leisure activities, many of which involve journeys. People anticipate with enthusiasm and excitement their annual holiday, often with its travel to new locations and surroundings. At the weekend, most individuals and families visit friends and relations or make trips to pursue their hobbies in music, sport or outdoor activities. However, with the large populations of the industrial world, journeys, which are often for long distances, use considerable amounts of energy, particularly from fossil fuels.

“…individuals lack the means, principally because of the poor insulation properties of their naked skin, to live comfortably in colder locations or those with extremes of temperature.”

Nomadic lifestyle

Nomadism in the form of exploration has resulted in many new opportunities and challenges. Humankind seemingly moved from tropical and sub-tropical regions and, as a result of its nomadic lifestyle, eventually populated most parts of the world. However, individuals lack the means, principally because of the poor insulation properties of their naked skin, to live comfortably in colder locations or those with extremes of temperature. The consequent need to inhabit buildings which are heated or cooled is one of the main reasons why industrialising and industrial societies consume substantial quantities of fossil fuels.

“For nearly 200 years, industrialising and industrial societies have raised living standards on the basis of improved technology and ever-increasing energy consumption ...”

Tool-using

Humankind, as a hunter-gatherer, has been both an inventor and user of tools, many of which were used to exploit new sources of food. For nearly 200 years, industrialising and industrial societies have raised living standards on the basis of improved technology and ever-increasing energy consumption, notably from previously inaccessible fossil fuels. In Western societies and Far Eastern societies, improved technology has brought about some prosperity. Nevertheless, by the mid-nineteenth century, some scientists had predicted the warming effect of any additional atmospheric carbon dioxide. During the last fifty years, this prediction was confirmed by the rise in global temperatures, which was caused by the large-scale emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from burning and extracting fossil fuels.

For a generation or more, the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have greatly alarmed climate experts, who emphasise the need for drastic action to reduce carbon emissions. These warnings are largely ignored. Many people remain optimistic that technology will solve the problems of carbon dioxide and methane emissions, for example by carbon capture, and, therefore, stop global warming. This confidence in the potential of technology, which is based upon previous experience, is widely shared. Consequently, in the opinion of many people, there is no need for the actions which climatologists state are essential to prevent irreversible climate change.

“… the provision of plant-based foods to billions of individuals has led to widespread monoculture in which humankind’s food largely depends upon a handful of plant species.”

Omnivorous

The environment is not only affected by the burning of fossil fuels but also by the farming practices which are necessary to feed the world’s population. Humankind’s omnivorous diet clearly offers a wider choice of dietary alternatives than a carnivorous diet. Consequently, humans can be fed with a less intensive use of energy than would otherwise be the case. Nevertheless, the provision of plant-based foods to billions of individuals has led to widespread monoculture in which humankind’s food largely depends upon a handful of plant species. The outcome is a dramatic loss of biodiversity.

“One important resource ... is humankind’s ability to cope quickly with environmental variability, which was necessary as a hunter-gatherer.”

Adapted to environmental variability

One important resource when confronted with climate change is humankind’s ability to cope quickly with environmental variability, which was necessary as a hunter-gatherer. In particular, societies can rapidly alter both their social values and organisation in response to new circumstances. This capacity to make sudden and fundamental short-term adjustments to a society’s social values and organisation was strikingly evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many societies willingly accepted unprecedented societal lockdowns which were commenced with hardly any warning.

“This characteristic of short time-horizons still permeates much of human society.”

Humankind as a hunter-gatherer

All humans were hunters and gatherers until c. 10,000 years ago. Hunting/scavenging and gathering are essentially short-term activities. Decisions are taken about actions which may be no more than a few hours or days in the future. Exceptionally, some decisions may have a longer timescale but rarely more than a year. Certainly, there was no need for hunter-gatherers to plan decades into the future. Consequently, humankind has a relatively short time-horizon with regard to most of its decisions.

This characteristic of short time-horizons still permeates much of human society. In democratic industrial societies, governments generally last no more than a few years and sometimes much less. Business performance is judged quarterly or, at most, annually. New government policies are intended to be implemented before the next election in three- or four-years’ time. In any event, there is no societal or international institutional structure in which permanent long-term decisions can be taken and implemented. For example, in an international context, there is no framework which consists of long-term, binding agreements between all societies for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. For these reasons, among others, preparation for the predicted major climate change during the next 20 to 50 years is superficial both in many societies and globally.

“Humankind already has the capacity, because of the variable climate of its hunter-gatherer environments, to make sudden, fundamental changes to its societal social values and organisation.”

Conclusion

The principal contributions to the ongoing debate on climate change which can be taken from hunter-gatherer environmental variability theory are that:

1. The complexity and difficulty of the anticipated threats arising from climate change have no precedents in the hunter-gatherer way of life and, therefore, represent a unique challenge.
2. Humans usually give priority to their extended family over the wider society, because the extended family was the living and working unit of hunter-gatherers.
3. As a result of nomadism, humans’ enthusiasm for travel is to be expected.
4. Another consequence of nomadism is that humankind now inhabits regions which necessitate a high usage of energy in order to stay warm or to avoid heat stress.
5. As a tool-user, humankind in industrial and industrialising societies has become reliant upon technology which has a high energy cost. Moreover, on the basis of experience, humankind is generally convinced that technology can solve all its problems.
6. The present number of humans is partly due to their omnivorous, rather than carnivorous, diet, but the production of food from a small number of plant and animal species greatly diminishes biodiversity.
7. Humankind already has the capacity, because of the variable climate of its hunter-gatherer environments, to make sudden, fundamental changes to its societal social values and organisation.
8. Short time-horizons were a characteristic of hunter-gatherer decision making. Consequently, the long-term planning which is necessary to cope with present-day climate change represents a formidable undertaking for agricultural and industrial societies.
   

“... the fact that societies have made, in the opinion of experts, insufficient preparation for the anticipated climate change should come as no surprise.”

In view of the preceding insights from hunter-gatherer environmental variability theory, the fact that societies have made, in the opinion of experts, insufficient preparation for the anticipated climate change should come as no surprise.

 Copyright © 2025 Michael James Davies, All Rights Reserved

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