What the Future Holds

I'll start by saying that this question appears very difficult to me. I have a hard time imagining what my life will be like 10 years from now, let alone what the world will look like in 200 years. Also, the prediction looks very different depending on how we deal with the issues of today. Though I hope for dramatic changes in our world, I have a hard time picturing this happening. With that little disclaimer, I will begin my predictions.

My dream would be that things would change dramatically today so that the future wouldn't be a dooms day. I do believe that if we continue on this path, the Earth will no longer be able to support future generations. I don't know what would be the effects of this. Would mass disease take over as a way of ridding of the human population? Could we become extinct due to severe weather and disease? I feel the Earth has a way of fighting against the ruin we have created. We already see fears of rising diseases and epidemics like AIDS and huge, out of the ordinary storms like Katrina. Perhaps going down this path would simply lead to more and more of these catastrophes until we are wiped out. I know it's not possible for us to continue down this same road and it seems these are the only reasonable expectations if we do.

If we are to change paths, however, and try for a better chance at survival, there's a lot that needs to change. For one, I think it's unfortunate that the world looks to the U.S. as an example of how to live and the U.S. enjoys the fame and goes with it. I think our examples should be countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. They are making incredible gains in renewable energies and earth saving technologies and lifestyles. The U.S. is strides behind them. Part of the reason we're so behind is that our culture is much more consumer driven than that of the more socialist countries in Scandanavia. Our culture, which supports a certain view of the economy and materialism, should not be the example for the world. In fact, it should be the example of what not to do. The U.S. should represent to the world the fact that GDP is an ignorant representation of economic health, that consumerism makes for an unhappy, materialistic culture that can only cause harm to our Earth, and the health of the environment is not a political issue, it's a human issue. In my opinion, the U.S. has too far to go for the world to wait for our example. By the time we get around to being that example, changing our culture, our economic structure, our technology, it will be too late. So first, we have to change our angle. Let's look to countries with strong socialist programs and environmentally friendly lifestyles that are flourishing today. Then we can have a goal to work towards, an example to follow starting today.

Following these examples will force us to change our view of the economy; to stop holding our breaths during stock market announcements, arguing the health of the economy based on GDP and growth, and promoting consumerism to heal our economic and social woes. Instead, we will have to promote a green economy, consider growth to be the amount of resources preserved and recycled, look upon living with less as the utmost respectable social value, and promote an appreciation of nature. If we aim for this goal, perhaps 200 years from now we will live in small communities, sharing small amounts of resources, and interacting with nature in the way most animals do; a give and take, not a form of domination.