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Top 10 Forecasts From Outlook 2002 Report

Current Forecasts

Special to Web visitors, here are a few of the editors' favorite forecasts from the September-October 2002 issue of THE FUTURIST:

Good news, bad news for water in Africa. Enormous amounts of pure water exist below the deserts of Africa, which could help avert a future water crisis. But the underground aquifers cross international boundaries, raising the specter of future water wars as populations increase and competition for water resources heats up. (Tomorrow in Brief)

      © 2000 John White             
Going for the gorilla vote? Animals may gain legal standing as activists increasingly insist on human rights and not just humane treatment for at least some animals. Researchers working with gorillas, dolphins, elephants, and other highly developed species recognize hierarchies of animal autonomy, communication skills, and self-awareness that could be used to determine which animals should be granted rights--or even legal personhood. (World Trends & Forecasts, Government)

The future of light is electronic. Cheaper, more-efficient light will come from light-emitting diodes, already used to illuminate taillights, traffic lights, outdoor displays, and other devices. LED-based light, which is 10 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs and would reduce electricity consumption worldwide by more than 50%, could eventually become the light-source of choice, researchers believe. (World Trends & Forecasts, Technology)  

Randy Montoya
Sandia National Laboratories

       PHOTODISC INC.
Enlist Rover? What terrorists might think of next:

- Inject the rabies virus into dogs at public parks.
- Assassinate CEOs of several multinational corporations, disrupting business worldwide.
- Release a nasty-smelling but harmless powder in an overcrowded stadium, letting panicked patrons trample one another.
- Cut off communications systems in Washington, D.C., for a few days.
- Disperse a bowel-infecting microorganism through the air-conditioning systems of theaters. ("What's Next? Foreseeable Terrorist Acts" by Joseph F. Coates)

Suburban life may be hazardous to your health. People who move to the outer suburbs seeking a safer lifestyle may be making a grave mistake. Traffic fatalities on suburban roads are a growing danger. Reasons: People tend to need their cars more in the suburbs than they do in cities, they tend to drive at higher speeds in the suburbs, and there are fewer sidewalks to accommodate pedestrians. (World Trends & Forecasts, Demography)

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