Everything strives to maximize production of entropy. Any entropy production allows spontaneous reactions, but over time the production of entropy tends to maximize within what is possible for each given situation. This is the fundamental physical relationship that allows, and demands, life to develop. Structures that form living organisms may seem like they are the opposite of entropy, but through the structure of organisms entropy can be maximized since the structures enable a larger production of entropy than a situation without such structures.
Given that entropy production tends to maximize, and given that life consists of structures that maximize entropy production, how is it possible that our behavior has led to a climate crisis that will kill many if not most living organisms?
Human civilization as we know it today has been around for an extremely short time in evolutionary terms. On the one hand, our transport of goods across the globe has allowed for a maximum entropy of material particles. On the other hand, in our ever changing reality humans strive to preserve our personal space and immediate surroundings. Figuring out how much entropy our society creates would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. What we can see is that we have not managed to find a maximized production.
How can I be so sure that our entropy production has not been maximized? Well, because of the climate crisis, the crisis for biodiversity, and the general existential threat to every living organism that has been the result of our society. The simple fact that our society is killing itself – along with much of everything else – is an obvious proof that our entropy production is not maximized. Had we been anywhere near the maximum, we would be fine.
The real question is if we are able to find a way towards that maximized production, or if it is already too late.