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NEW
WFS PUBLICATION TO LAUNCH IN 2009
World Future Review: A Journal of Strategic Foresight is a bimonthly journal
for futures practitioners and researchers, combining the scholarship and
professional resources of Futures Research Quarterly with the overview of
significant new future-oriented publications provided in Future Survey. FRQ
and FS will cease publication at the end of 2008, but the new World Future
Review will offer readers the features of each publication plus additional
resources and insights.
Highlights of the new journal will include a range of articles on policy,
trend dynamics, and new techniques, along with profiles of today’s leading
foresight practitioners and thinkers and short pieces on critical
developments in key areas.
World Future Review will be a key benefit of the Society’s new and improved
Professional Membership program. Whether you work in the private sector, for
a government or international organization, at an academic institution, or
are simply a member of the concerned community, you’ll benefit from WFR’s
fresh, innovative approach and find its articles on social, economic, and
technological trends essential to understanding the forces shaping changes
and developments that impact all.
DETAILS:
World Future Review and Professional Membership |
ENERGY AS CURRENCY?
A
shaky financial system characterized by volatile money markets and
mood-swinging energy prices makes one creative gift idea worth considering:
Kilowatt Cards, or gift cards for electricity.
How
it works: At Kilowatt Cards’ Web site, you may purchase gift cards with a
value of 10 kilowatt hours of electricity (enough to run a 100-watt light
bulb for 100 hours). The recipient can then redeem the card at the Web site,
which then pays the utility account.
Because the cards hold a specific value, they may also be used to barter for
other things and as a hedge against inflation, says spokesperson Robert W.
Hahl.
Keep in mind that any
enterprise carries risk. Will your Kilowatt Card hold its value five years
from now? The organization states in its FAQs: “Kilowatt Cards are backed by
a corporation that will still be operating five years from now if it is
well-managed. If not, perhaps you will still have a collector’s item.”
DETAILS:
Kilowatt Cards
PRISONERS TURN A NEW LEAF
A
novel research program is applying one of nature’s sustainability
principles: putting “wasted”
resources to good use. Instead of languishing in prison cells, inmates at a
medium-security prison in Littlerock, Washington, have been recruited to
study ecologically important mosses in Pacific Northwest forests.
The
Moss-in-Prisons project, led by Nalini Nadkarni of Evergreen State
College, uses the inmates to conduct experiments to find the best way to
cultivate slow-growing mosses. This will help ecologists replace the
vegetation stripped illegally by horticulturalists.
Inmates are ideal research assistants, says Nadkarni, because they “have
long periods of time available to observe and measure the growing mosses,
access to extensive space to lay out flats of plants, and fresh minds to put
forward innovative solutions.”
Other sustainable-living projects promoted at the facility include an
organic garden and beekeeping and composting operations. A positive effect
for the inmates may be inspiration to improve personal futures: One member
of Nadkarni’s research team went for a PhD in microbiology following release
from prison.
SOURCE:
National Science Foundation
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INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY: PRESCRIPTION FOR COMPLEXITY
The
theme of the World Future Society's next annual meeting, WorldFuture 2009,
is Innovation and Creativity in a Complex World. Mark your calendars now!
The conference will be held in Chicago at the beautiful Hilton Chicago
hotel, July 17-19, 2009.
Among the
forward-thinking experts you’ll meet are bioethicist Arthur D. Caplan of the
University of Pennsylvania; Kevin Fickenscher, executive vice president of
International Healthcare for Perot Systems Corporation; Esther Franklin,
executive vice president and director of cultural identities for Starcom
MediaVest Group; Lee Gutkind, founder of Creative Nonfiction and professor
of English at the University of Pittsburgh; Ian D. Pearson, futurologist for
Futurizon and formerly a futurologist for British Telecommunications; Anna
Rappaport, former president of the Society of Actuaries; and Mohan K. Tikku,
director of the Centre for Future Studies in Gurgaon, India.
SAVE $200! REGISTER BY DECEMBER 31:
LEARN MORE:
SUBMIT A
SESSION PROPOSAL (Deadline, November 18, 2008):
SUBMIT
A CONFERENCE VOLUME ESSAY (Deadline, March 2, 2009):
-
Early submissions urged! |
GLOBAL ECONOMY: "STRONG" RECOVERY FORECAST FOR 2011
Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, forecasts that the
U.S. and global economies will face a deep recession in 2009 leading to a
modest recovery in 2010 and "a more robust recovery in 2011."
Behravesh cites four positive factors that will meliorate the current
crisis: falling food and fuel prices, rapid responses from governments to
the crisis, unprecedented amounts of liquidity pumped into the system, and
the distinct possibility of further fiscal stimulus.
The
"full impact on the real economy has yet to be felt,” Behravesh argues.
“There is little doubt that the economic outlook will get worse—possibly
much worse—before it gets better. Nevertheless, given the recent dramatic
reversal in the price of oil and other commodities, the gradual thawing of
credit markets, and the large amounts of fiscal and monetary stimulus that
have already been set in motion and are likely to be enacted soon, the
recovery is likely to be more robust than many pundits are currently
predicting."
DETAILS:
Global Insight
TIPS FOR HELPING WORKERS COPE
Alexander Crispo, an associate professor of organizational
leadership and supervision at Purdue University, offers these tips for
workers feeling insecure about the future of their jobs:
1. Imagine a worst-case scenario. What’s the worst thing that could happen
to you if you lost your job? Crispo points out that the very worst thing may
not be the most probable outcome, but it helps workers focus on finding
possible solutions.
2.Never stop learning. Consider attaining a degree or additional training.
3.Read trade publications in your field to stay up to date on relevant
trends and issues.
4. Make a list of networking contacts.
5. Keep a journal of what you do well and what interests you.
Crispo emphasizes that not all change is negative. “If your job changes or
disappears, it’s an excellent chance to learn something new, discover
untapped skills, and meet new people.”
DETAILS:
Purdue University
CLICK OF THE MONTH: Tim Prosser, Scrimping on Energy
http://timprosserfuturing.wordpress.com/
Planning consultant Tim Prosser tackles a number of technology, economic,
and environmental issues in his Futuring Weblog, but his October 24 post is
exceptionally noteworthy for its creative thinking on energy solutions.
Prosser offers “a few ideas ‘off the top of my head’ on how we might address
our energy (and water) needs in the future,” including:
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Time and motion-operated light controls.
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Inexpensive, whole-house remote controls.
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Light-colored roofing materials.
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Improved air-exchange ventilators.
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Wall chargers that shut off automatically when not in use.
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Flooring and road surfaces that generate electricity.
The
most-effective idea, says Prosser, is education. “Many of the cheapest and
most effective ways to reduce energy use require only that people understand
their value and how to do them. Every school could teach a real home
economics class, focusing on energy economics, that would make perhaps the
biggest difference possible in the reduction of our per-capita energy use.”
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NEW
WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY SERVICE: FUNDAMENTALS OF FORESIGHT
Fundamentals of Foresight is a free series of quick briefings on how you can
better prepare for a changing world.
Ten
weekly e-mails from Society President Tim Mack explain major futuring tools
such as scanning, visioning, scenarios, wild cards, and more.
Sign
up today! And invite your colleagues, friends, family, students, and others!
TO
SIGN UP send an e-mail to: mailto:jcornish-376589@autocontactor.com |
NEWS
FROM THE FUTURIST COMMUNITY
*
SECOND LONDON FUTURES SYMPOSIUM: The second London Futures Symposium is to
be held on November 12, 2008, in Central London. The theme of the day is to
be an introduction to futuring, with papers on an scenarios; the future of
digital media, gender, and identity; the future of eco-resorts; and more. A
special rate of £40 for the day is offered for WFS members.
DETAILS: or contact Symposium organizer Stephen Aguilar-Millan at
mailto:stephena@eufo.org
FUTURIST UPDATE: News & Previews from the World Future Society is an e-mail
newsletter published monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST magazine.
Copyright © 2008, World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 450,
Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Telephone 1-301-656-8274; e-mail mailto:info@wfs.org
Web site www.wfs.org
mailto: info@wfs.org ; Web
site http://www.wfs.org .
Editor: Cindy Wagner,
mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
Senior Editor: Patrick
Tucker, mailto:ptucker@wfs.org
Network Administrator: Jeff
Cornish, mailto:jcornish@wfs.org
Vice President,
Membership/Conference Operations: Susan Echard,
mailto: sechard@wfs.org
To subscribe, enter your
e-mail at
http://www.wfs.org/futuristupdate.htm
To unsubscribe or change
your e-mail address, send an e-mail to
jcornish@wfs.org with "unsubscribe" or "change
address" in the subject line.
Submit feedback: to
cwagner@wfs.org
The WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and
educational association with a global membership. Regular membership in the
Society, including a subscription to THE FUTURIST, is $59 per year, or $20
for full-time students under age 25. Professional and Institutional
membership programs are also offered; contact Society headquarters for
details: http://www.wfs.org .
