2020 Visionaries Part III

In this third installment of the 2020 Visionaries series, we look at the future of the global environment and of democracy — two areas of concern that will increasingly intertwine in the next 10 years. Dennis Bushnell, chief scientist at the NASA Langley Research Facility, provides an overview of the scope of the climate crisis and the weapons against it that we have at our disposal. Jamais Cascio, author of Hacking the Earth, explains the potential and pitfalls of geoengineering. Ian Bremmer, head of the world’s largest political-risk consultancy, discusses the future of Sino-U.S. relations. American Enterprise Scholar Michael Rubin, and memoirist Azar Nafisi, exaimine the intersection of technology and human rights in Iran.

2020 Visionaries Part II
2020 Visionaries Part 1

Coming, The Biggest Boom Ever
By McKinley Conway
The economic recession has prompted many to duck and cover, and many economists are making very pessimistic short-term and long-term forecasts. However, scrutiny of the factors at play reveals that the coming decade will bring a great deal of opportunity. Get ready for a period of unprecedented global development that will provide new opportunities for billions around the world. New economic growth is being driven by emerging industries ranging from nanotechnology to solar and wind power. PDF Available.

Trends Shaping Tomorrow’s World
Economic and Social Trends and Their Impacts
For nearly half a century, Forecasting International has been tracking the forces that shape our future. Some 20 years ago, we codified our observations into a list of trends that forms the basis for much of our work. For each of our projects, we compare the specific circumstances of an industry or organization with these general trends and project their interactions. This often allows us to form a remarkably detailed picture of what lies ahead. Part One of the latest edition of FI’s periodic trend report tracks economic, population, societal, family, and work trends, illustrating the multifaceted challenges facing individuals and their institutions at all levels, from the household to the globe at large. PDF Available.

Visions:
Film's Immortals: Forever Young and in 3-D
By Cynthia G. Wagner
More than 20 years ago, THE FUTURIST wrote of the possibility of bringing Humphrey Bogart (and other movie stars) back to cinematic life. The technical achievements of filmmakers like James Cameron, director of Avatar, suggest that futurists’ predictions are close to coming true.

China First
The question of how China became so successful, and what its leadership might do next, is a source of speculation and consternation, particularly in Washington, D.C. In China’s Megatrends: The 8 Pillars of a New Society, John and Doris Naisbitt dissect China’s achievement and provide what they call a “balance” to the “heavily weighted negative commentary” about China in the U.S. media. Review by Patrick Tucker

Books in Brief
Blackout: Coal, Climate and the Last Energy Crisis
Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation
Cosmic Conversations: Dialogues on the Nature of the Universe and the Search for Reality
The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations?
Lightcraft Flight Handbook LTI-20
Mega Disasters: The Science of Predicting the Next Catastrophe
Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the Conservation Revolution
Turning Oil into Salt: Energy Independence Through Fuel Choice