The Future of the World Depends on Us

As I write these words, half the planet is in danger of social instability because of escalating food and energy prices, lack of potable water, deteriorating governments, and pollution.

Over 100 countries are skirting the edge of bedlam. More than 45 countries, with a population of 2.7 billion people, are in danger of armed conflict due primarily to inadequate natural resources. Another 1.2 billion people scattered over 56 countries are threatened with severe social instability of various sorts.

At present, there are 14 wars raging across the planet. Thirty-seven countries are experiencing a food crisis because of expanding demand, diminishing supplies, soaring energy prices and global grain stocks that are at 25-year lows. Almost three billion people worldwide are forced to survive on less than $2 a day.

Elevated levels of poverty have resulted in 40 new diseases, 1,100 epidemics over the past five years, and a record 20 drug-resistant disease strains today. Additionally, old diseases like cholera and yellow fever are regaining footholds. And more than one-third of childhood deaths come about in the first 28 days of life, typically because of a lack of clean, drinkable water. 700 million people currently face water shortages.

Our planet’s population will require 50% more food in the next five years and 100% more in 2030. Worldwide energy requirements could double in only 20 years. Most studies estimate that there are over 20,000 active nuclear weapons on the planet and there have been about 150 reports of use of unauthorized nuclear materials per year over the past three years.

The year 2012 is approaching. We are coming to a tipping point where the results of our decisions will fall on us much more quickly than they have in the past. Our planet’s population needs to rethink its priorities if we hope to prevent these trends from overwhelming us. So, is there any good news out there? Fortunately, there is.

Some governments are now beginning to become more cognizant of the global issues we face. And, they are starting to share their expertise more consistently within the framework of international workgroups that are designed to address crises.

Super computers are now approaching abilities that will help solve problems at exponentially quicker rates. Floating point operations in the realm of 1.144 thousand trillion per second are now possible. This supports the capability to solve extremely difficult social, environmental, medical, and economic problems and may permit more dependable forecasting of future behavior and cause and effect interactions across a wide variety of fields.

Expanding Internet development is promoting a type of global "collective intelligence." This improved global interaction and exchange of ideas will help hasten the development of solutions for the problems we face. (Thanks to Larry Edelson for his research on these issues).

The cause is not lost. The world is not doomed. But we don’t have all the time that we would like to change these trends. The time to act is now. What does that mean for you? How will you respond? The future of the world depends on us.