November 2008 Vol. 9, No. 11

In This Issue:
* Energy as Currency
* Prisoners Turn a New Leaf
* Global Economy: "Strong" Recovery Forecast for 2011
* Tips for Helping Workers Cope
* Click of the Month: Tim Prosser, Scrimping on Energy
* News from the Futurist Community

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

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.

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:

* Time and motion-operated light controls.

* Inexpensive, whole-house remote controls.

* Light-colored roofing materials.

* Improved air-exchange ventilators.

* Wall chargers that shut off automatically when not in use.

* 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.”

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