Forced Eco-friendliness

Amidst various ecological predictions and suggestions, one theme becomes apparent. The future looks unavoidably bleak. That said, 200 years is a massive amount of time, especially when we consider the exponential growth-- both good and bad-- we have and will experience. When looking to the future, DC is in apt microcosm of our nation. With a concentration of our nation's leaders, affluent citizens, and a striking amount of poverty; DC is representative of an array of socioeconomic conditions. While I admit the future of the region looks bleak to me too, I do hold a bit of hope-- if not for optional personal lifestyle changes, at least for forced ones.

The DC I imagine would be substantially overcrowded, as it is a metropolitan area in a time of a projected population boom. I do not, however, imagine a sardine-effect. If it comes down to it, the poor may end up crowded out, but I do not foresee such an advanced city living shoulder to shoulder. I do foresee food shortages, and a huge reduction in clean water in general. I expect a great deal of technological advancements in the next 2 centuries, that-- similar to China-- would likely end in a great deal of pollution and an overuse of resources such as food. I expect housing to look quite different, with a lot less emphasis on massive properties and more of a shift to attached houses and more conservative use of space. I also foresee a shift to energy efficient public transportation and to extremely energy efficient personal vehicles, if any. I make these predictions not out of an idealistic hope in the publics' attitudes, but from unavoidable economic incentive. In 200 years, space, energy, and resources will be so scarce that economic patterns will force everyday goods to become luxury ones.

Further, I believe that in 200 years the political system will have no choice but to mold itself around environmental degradation. I expect environmental bills that seriously punish polluters and force the public into living more efficiently. I expect that, by then, at least our nation's leaders will be wise enough to note the imminence of environmental threats and make the necessary changes. I expect huge shifts to renewable energy resources such as wind and solar powered--well-- everything. This portion of my prediction is intertwined with the DC I hope for, but I do think this DC is within our reach. While I don't hold much hope for optional changes in lifestyles, I think that in 200 years' time the environment will have gotten so bad that the idea will no longer be abstract. I think the effects of environmental degradation will be comparable to how our nation reacts to an economic recession. It will be in their faces, and thus will force people-- especially politicians-- into larger-scale changes.

While not necessarily applicable to DC, as it is relatively affluent, I see us forced into a greener world in a bigger way. I foresee epidemics-- such as swine flu and AIDS-- and natural dis