To shift the baseline means to change the starting point or reference point against which something is measured or judged. It involves adjusting the initial standards or expectations for comparison. Full definition
The phenomenon of shifting baselines means that each generation fails to realize how much worse the oceans are getting (scientificamerican.com)
Ecologists call it the «shifting baseline phenomenon» — a fancy way of saying that kids are getting cheated out of the lakes their moms and dads loved. (discovermagazine.com)
Over at Shifting Baselines, Jennifer Jacquet, a PhD student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Fisheries Centre (who is working with the renowned Dr. Daniel Pauly), writes about a new study on which she was the lead author, entitled «Hot Soup: Sharks Captured in Ecuador's Waters» (sub. (treehugger.com)