"That future age of which we can only dream": Exploring the origins of the climate crisis in the Story of Progress

The principal source of the ecological ruptures planet Earth is currently experiencing-the unfolding climate emergency above all-is a story a small subset of humans have been telling themselves and living according to the precepts for about 300 years. Slowly and often reluctantly the number of adherents to this story has grown until there are few places on the planet where the story does not hold at least partial sway. Over the past 300 years, the Story of Progress has evolved from a possibility to an article of faith. Examining the history of the Story of Progress makes visible the degree to which the idea of Progress has become woven into language itself, making it difficult to articulate other possibilities-and, therefore, difficult to escape the story that has produced a catastrophic climate crisis.