Elena V. Amber

Public Advocate, Researcher and Systems Catalyst

“We will never escape ecological collapse if markets keep monetising human vulnerabilities.”

I research consumption at the intersection of ecological economics, behavioral science, and sustainability transitions. Policies, nudges, and environmental messages don’t work. Why do we keep consuming the planet — even when we know better?

Earlier in my career, I helped build startups valued at nearly $1B and raised over $70M. That experience led to an uncomfortable realization: growth without meaning is not progress — it is accelerated decline. As overconsumption surged, burnout became normalized, and planetary boundaries were breached, it became clear that modern economies were not merely responding to demand. They were actively engineering it. Dopamine hits were reframed as “choice.” Stress relief was sold as a “lifestyle.” Status was marketed as “identity.” Ecological collapse persists not because we lack data or technology, but because economic systems hijack human emotional and cognitive architecture, turning consumption into a behavioral addiction that locks societies into overshoot.