If humanity and the environment fail one another …

Purpose – This paper seeks to summarize humanity's growing appraisal of cumulative transgressions against nature and how these may be proving reversible. Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes some of the current literature on environmental failure and the reasons therefor, and what, in global terms, activists are doing to rectify systemic breakdown. Findings – The wrecking of nature is not new, but it is only recently that the conservationists, scientists, engineers and political activists of civil society have undertaken repairs and begun to meet the challenges of maintenance. Originality/value – The application of rational, well‐intended corrective strategies (motivated beyond moralizing) are shown to undo some of the past's grossest misdemeanors.