WATER
AND LIFE OUTSIDE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
Evidence of water in the atmosphere of a planet
beyond our own solar system has been discovered by an international team of
astronomers, giving new hope for finding another "life-friendly" environment
somewhere out there.
The planet, HD 189733b, orbits a star in the constellation Vulpeca, 64
light-years from our Sun. The researchers, led by Giovanna Tinetti of the
European Space Agency and University College London, discovered that the
planet absorbs starlight from its own sun, suggesting the presence of water
vapor in its atmosphere.
Unlike Earth, planet HD 189733b is a gas giant, about 15% bigger than
Jupiter but 30 times closer to its star than Earth is to the Sun. Thus, the
new discovery is still not the "holy grail" of Earth-like planets that
astronomers seek.
Still, says Tinetti, "finding the existence of water on an extra-solar gas
giant is a vital milestone along that road of discovery."
SOURCES: University College London,
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/media/library/WaterOnExtraSolarPlanetFINAL
European Space Agency,
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/COROT/SEMBDZI2O3F_0.html
ARTISTS
OFFER UNIQUE VIEW OF CLIMATE CHANGE
A string of electrical power lines fencing off
the planet like barbed wire; a line of national flags marking claims across
the South Pole--these are among the dramatic ways that artists see the
future of our environment.
In a new exhibit at Boulder (Colorado) Museum of Contemporary Art, "Weather
Report: Art and Climate Change," artists use visual media to help
communicate to a mainstream audience the impacts of climate change on the
planet's future. Issues that come to light in the art include global
warming, desertification, floods, changing watersheds, renewable energy, and
species transformation.
The goal, according to the museum, is "to use the arts to inspire new
awareness of, discussion about, and action on environmental issues, with new
possibilities for envisioning a sustainable future."
"Weather Report" will be on display at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary
Art from September 14 through December 21.
DETAILS: Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art,
http://www.bmoca.org/artist.php?id=74
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IMPORTANT
INFORMATION FOR WORLDFUTURE 2007 CONFERENCE-GOERS
"WorldFuture 2007: Fostering Hope and Vision for the 21st Century" will be
held July 29-31 at the Hilton Minneapolis hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Online registration for the conference has closed. To register, please call
Society headquarters at 1-800-989-8274 or, after July 25, contact the WFS
conference registration staff at the Hilton Minneapolis:
1001 Marquette Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55403-2440
Telephone 1-612-376-1000
Fax 1-612-397-4875
DIRECTIONS AND MAPS (copy and paste full URL into your browser):
http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/MSPMHHH-Hilton-Minneapolis-Minnesota/directions.do
LEARN MORE:
http://www.wfs.org/2007main.htm
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SWEDEN IS RANKED MOST-RESPONSIBLE NATION
The world's most "responsibly competitive" nation is Sweden, according to a
new Responsible Competitiveness Index. Developed by the social and ethical
research institute AccountAbility, the index ranks nations on such issues as
human rights and anti-corruption measures.
Countries that behave responsibly are likely to be more competitive in the
global economy, since they indicate more sustainable long-term performance,
transparency, and accountability, according to the institute.
"Governments have a massive role to play in reshaping global markets," says
AccountAbility CEO Simon Zadek. "If we don't act, markets will continue to
damage people and the environment. The good news is that countries can
compete responsibly and be successful, so long as governments and policy
makers put in place the right frameworks. There needn't be a conflict
between compassion and competitiveness. Sweden is a shining example of
this."
Other nations making the top 10 list of responsible competitiveness:
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, Ireland,
Australia, and Canada.
SOURCE: AccountAbility,
http://www.accountability21.net
SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT PAY FOR COUPLES THERAPY?
If government subsidized relationship counseling, it could help reduce
divorce rates and save taxpayers money, claims a team of marital and family
therapists researching the cost-effectiveness of therapy.
Married people tend to take better care of themselves physically than single
people, note the researchers, from Alliant International University and
Arizona State University. Marital therapy paid for by insurers would offset
the increased health-care expenses associated with divorce, they argue.
In a hypothetical study, the researchers asked, if government invested in
screening and treating couples in marital distress, how much would the
return be in reduced costs of handling divorces? They calculated a $1.85
return on every $1 spent, concluding that "government would experience a net
savings even if only 16% of couples identified as distressed in the
screening process went on to begin treatment."
Another way to save costs on therapy is to use paraprofessionals rather than
doctors to screen the patients, perhaps by telephone or online rather than
in person.
SOURCE: Alliant International University, http://www.alliant.edu
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LEADERS WANTED!
The World Future Society
is now seeking experienced and motivated leadership volunteers for its
funding development and sponsorship sales programs to help expand the
Society's services and its global impact.
DETAILS:
WFS Volunteer
Opportunities,
http://www.wfs.org/WFSvolunteer.htm
or contact President Tim
Mack,
mailto:tmack@wfs.org , or Board member Jack Gottsman,
mailto:gottsman@msn.com
*********************************************
CLICK OF THE MONTH:
Now Playing! Top 10
Forecasts, 2007 (Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asl7_7cbjBc
The World Future Society is pleased to announce its first
informational video, now playing on YouTube: "Top 10 Forecasts, 2007."
The three-minute video illustrates the top 10 forecasts from the World
Future Society's Outlook 2007 report, such as Generation Y's pursuit of
opportunities overseas and the impacts of China's dwindling water supply on
the global economy. See http://www.wfs.org/tomorrow/index.htm (more)for more
information about the forecasts.
The video, created by FUTURIST UPDATE editor Cindy Wagner, may be shared by
using YouTube's e-mail service or linked to your own Web site. For those who
wish to use it in their classrooms or presentations, the video is also
available by request in computer-playable formats: .wmv (for Windows Media
Player) and .mov (for Quicktime). To request, contact Communications
Director Patrick Tucker at mailto:ptucker@wfs.org for details.
BONUS LINK: THE FUTURIST also has its own MySpace page, maintained by
Patrick Tucker (the magazine's associate editor), at
http://www.myspace.com/thefuturistmagazine
SEA LEVELS WILL RISE FASTER THAN EXPECTED
Each year, melting sea ice and glaciers in the Arctic contribute nearly the
equivalent of Lake Erie in additional volume to the world's sea levels. Over
the past decade, the rate of melting has accelerated far more than
previously thought, warn researchers from all around the world.
The world's 100 million people now living within three feet of sea level are
in the most imminent danger: A one-foot rise in sea levels would consume an
estimated 100 feet of shore. The researchers predict that Arctic melting
could raise sea levels by as much as 9.5 inches by 2100.
The losses from sea ice and glacier currents pose a more dire threat to the
global environment than does the melting of the massive Greenland and
Antarctic ice sheets, according to a study by the University of Colorado at
Boulder. As glaciers thin, they slide more rapidly into the water, thus
raising sea levels faster.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=109759
FURTHER READING: See the "Thinking about the Arctic's Future: Scenarios for
2040" by Lawson W. Brigham, the cover story of the September-October 2007
issue of THE FUTURIST, mailed to subscribers after August 1.
*********************************************
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Attention futurist authors:
The following WFS publications are constantly on the lookout for new essays
and articles presenting trends, forecasts, and ideas about the future.
THE FUTURIST magazine:
http://www.wfs.org/writguid.htm
FUTURES RESEARCH QUARTERLY:
http://www.wfs.org/frq.htm#invite
FUTURE TIMES (online):
http://www.wfs.org/futuretimesmay07.htm
WFS Web Forums (online):
http://www.wfs.org/inter.htm
The World Future Society's 2008 conference volume is also
seeking submissions.
See
http://www.wfs.org/2008volguidelines.htm
FUTURIST UPDATE: News &
Previews from the World Future Society is an e-mail newsletter published
monthly as a supplement to THE FUTURIST magazine. Copyright © 2007,
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
http://www.wfs.org .
Editor: Cindy Wagner,
mailto:cwagner@wfs.org
Associate 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
To unsubscribe or change
your e-mail address, reply to this e-mail with "unsubscribe" or "change
address" in the subject line.
Submit feedback:
http://www.wfs.org/fbjul07.htm
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 $49 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.
