The archaeology of climate change: Is unbridled commodity production sustainable?

Much of the discussion concerning climate change has understandably focused on providing proof that it is an empirically verifiable process whose trajectory has been accelerating. This chapter focuses on one of the prime drivers, commodity production, and asks whether it is sustainable. What the historical archaeology of the modern era clearly has established is the critical role that commodity production has played in the growth of an ever-expanding world economy. The impact this has had on the environment from the micro- to the macro-scale is also revealed by this archaeology. Ultimately, we may be confronted by the need to drastically curtail commodity production. Here I will explore the ramifications of such a future and what it suggests about issues such as universal employment.