Extending the Capability of the Model

This chapter explains the significance of building better capability in forecasting the likely consequences of natural resource and environmental decisions. The goal here is not just to know what is connected but also to identify which connections are most critical in balancing risk and benefit. At the core of this analysis are the hierarchical variables of territory, status, and power, along with the identity variables of age, gender, and class, all of which come from the social order component. The chapter connects these to the population variable from the socioeconomic resource component. Meanwhile, the biophysical resources component provides a shifting set of variables such as land, energy, air, water, and flora and fauna, as do the individual and institutional cycles of change and the flows of individuals (immigration and emigration).