Proposing Waypoints

Currently the future is uncertain. Until now humanity has been wandering aimlessly, never knowing where we are destined to end up. Building the future involves setting "waypoints" through which we intend to pass, and doing our best to achieve them.

• Reaching acceptable ethical standards
• Surviving the present
• Safely enhancing our quality of life
• Achieving controlled and accountable authorities
  

These articles are in relation to advancing the futurist agenda in education

Push for Open Access to Research -- (BBC -- February 28, 2007)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6404429.stm
Five leading European research institutions launched a petition that called on the European Commission to establish a new policy that would require all government-funded research to be made available to the public shortly after publication. That requirement - called an open access principle - would leverage widespread internet connectivity with low-cost electronic publication to create a freely available virtual scientific library available to the entire globe.

EDUCATION AS CIVILIZATION BUILDING

At the WFS conference in Torontoa group of futurists met to address the advancement of a futurist agenda in education. Particularly it was directed at what the WFS should be responsible for in this area, but what comes out of it is information on what society as a whole should be building. Anyone interested in the advancement of futures education should take a look at the product of this session. If you have further ideas to contribute to this, send an e-mail to futurescanada[at]yahoo.ca

Click here to see what came out of the WFS conference.

NEWS FROM FUTURE TIMES 

The latest edition of FUTURE TIMES, the Society's online networking newsletter, focuses on a new initiative to revitalize the Education Section. The goals of the initiative are to provide more resources and opportunities for educators to incorporate futures into curricula and to engage educators more in the futures community through partnerships. According to Society President Tim Mack, volunteers are sought to work on such projects as Futures Clubs for high schools, collegiate chapters, a Young Futurists Program for members in their 20s and 30s, a newsletter, Web site, and other interactive educational services. DETAILS: FUTURE TIMES, Spring 2006, http://www.wfs.org/futuretimes.htm

These articles propose solutions to ethical issues dealing with the future.

ETHICS EDUCATION AT BUSINESS SCHOOLS 

More business schools around the world have added ethics to their curricula, reports a study by the World Resources Institute and the Aspen Institute. The study, "Beyond Grey Pinstripes," found that 54% of the 91 business schools surveyed required a course in ethics, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, or business and society. This is up from just 34% in 2001. The report also noted new, innovative courses on such topics as private-sector approaches for solving problems in low-income markets. The courses are part of a wider effort in business education to prepare tomorrow's leaders for the new realities of a global economy. "To be competitive, corporations need to recast social and environmental problems as business growth opportunities," comments Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute. "These schools are leading the way in providing students with the skills that are becoming increasingly valuable to the bottom line. Such skills are needed to meet the emerging challenges of climate change, water scarcity, labor issues, and poverty alleviation with innovative technologies and entrepreneurship." 

SOURCE: The World Resources Institute, http://newsroom.wri.org/newsrelease_text.cfm?NewsReleaseID=346

These articles propose solutions for future survivability.

Work Starts on Artic Seed Vault -- (CNN -- February 9, 2007)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/02/09/climate.deep.freeze.reut/index.html
Deep inside the Arctic Circle work is about to begin on a giant frozen Noah's Ark for food crops to provide a last bastion in the battle against global warming. And within a year the first seeds of what will eventually be home for samples of all 1.5 million distinct varieties of agricultural crops worldwide will be tucked safely inside the vaults deep in a mountain on the archipelago of Svalbard. There, at the end of a tunnel 120 meters into the side of a mountain, 80 meters above estimated sea levels even if all polar ice melts, and 18 degrees Celsius below freezing, they will stay like a bank security deposit.

Cooling the Planet -- (MIT Technology Review -- February 13, 2007)
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18175/
In the past two decades, various novel planet-cooling technologies have been proposed - improbable, monumental projects such as putting into orbit giant mirrors with thousand-kilometer diameters or clouds of trillions of wafer-thin, butterfly-light lenses. Until recently, such proposals have remained on the fringes of acceptable scientific speculation. Now, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change claiming in its latest report that there's a 90% probability that the last half-century of global warming has been caused by humans, radical planet-cooling technological possibilities are suddenly receiving consideration alongside the standard proposals for capping, reducing, or sequestering carbon emissions.

Corporations Agree to Cut Emissions-- (Reuters -- February 20, 2007)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/02/20/global.warming.pact.reut/index.html
More than 100 corporate heads, international organizations and experts set out a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, calling on governments to act urgently against global warming. The agreement urged governments to place a price on the carbon emissions released by power plants, factories and other sectors to discourage emissions.

Wonders of the World: The Buildings of 2006 -- (Business Week -- December 18, 2006)
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/dec2006/id20061218_890213.htm
Green architecture has become glamorous, and even economical. The cycle of innovation for sustainable building technologies is now staggeringly short, given how long it takes to complete a building. We are close to the tipping point at which green design becomes the default option for smart building.

Google Announces 1.6 Megawatt Solar Campus -- (EI Solutions -- October 25, 2006)
http://www.eispv.com/success_stories/google.html
Could it be that one day to "Google" a building will mean to add solar panels to it? Perhaps not, but the company is about to embark on a record-setting solar electricity project, installing 1.6 megawatts of solar power at its headquarters campus. It will be the largest solar power system installed on a corporate campus- and the system will pay for itself in about 7.5 years.

Australia's Going Solar -- (Al Jazeera -- October 25, 2006)
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/
335A6F3A-B4ED-4D6D-AE90-936776D8C292.htm
Australia has announced plans to build the world's biggest solar power station as part of a radical rethink on climate change. The 154 megawatt power station is the first of a series of projects aimed at reducing the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming.

Existing Tech Could Replace Fossil Fuels -- (MIT Technology Review -- September 01, 2006)
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/posts.aspx?id=17381
Researchers say that the combined use of alternative energies for which we already have reliable technology "could replace all fossil fuel power plants." And that the use of hydrogen for vehicle fuel is a bad idea in most cases - as using electricity directly in vehicles (stored in batteries) rather than to generate hydrogen is three times cheaper.

Seawater Agriculture Proposed
Dr. Dennis Bushnell, Chief Scientist at NASA Langley has done some interesting thinking about how to utilize deserts to produce energy, food and other beneficial byproducts by tapping the world’s essentially unlimited source of seawater. You can review his PowerPoint presentation here.
September 2006
(PPT Format - 133KB)

A Zero Energy Home in Oklahoma -- (ZDNet -- May 15, 2006)
http://blogs.zdnet.com/emergingtech/?p=239
According to Professional Builder, the first zero energy home costing less than $200,000 has been built in Oklahoma. This house produces as much energy as it consumes in a year and combines "renewable energy technologies with advanced energy-efficient construction." This environmentally friendly house is just a prototype and not available for sale.

GREEN ENGINEERING 

The planet "is a finite place with finite resources," so tomorrow's engineers will need to incorporate sustainability into the structures, products, and processes they design, says University of Pittsburgh engineering professor Eric Beckman. Pitt's new Sustainable Engineering Fellowship Program, to begin in fall 2006, will support multidisciplinary research and studies in design that is conscious of environmental constraints. The goal is to train the next generation of engineers to "think green." The program also will build on international research collaborations in such fields as community development, green construction, and sustainable water-use technologies. 

SOURCE: University of Pittsburgh, http://www.umc.pitt.edu:591/m/FMPro?-db=m&-lay=a&-format=r.htm&-Find

ETHICAL MARKETS TELEVISION SERIES

Season one of the weekly television series Ethical Markets is now available on DVD and VHS. The half-hour series developed by futurist Hazel Henderson is a magazine-style program covering "financial lifestyles" and reporting on such topics as green architecture, renewable energy, socially responsible investing, and fair trade. DETAILS: http://www.ethicalmarkets.com

MORE-FERTILE FORESTS CAN FIGHT GREENHOUSE EFFECT 

Increasing the growth of trees in forests through intensive fertilization may increase the amount of carbon that the forest absorbs, thus helping to slow global warming. Experiments in a spruce forest by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences show that the forest could triple its growth if the trees have access to all plant nutrients, particularly nitrogen. This extra growth offers not only an improved carbon sink, but also an alternative source of fuel to replace fossil fuels, which would also help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, the researchers note. 

SOURCE: Swedish Research Council, http://www.vr.se/english/

NEW AMERICAN DREAM http://www.newdream.org 

 "Live consciously, buy wisely, and make a difference" are the ingredients for living out a "dream" life that is personally empowering and socially responsible, according to the Center for the New American Dream.

The Center's mission is to help "Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice."

Through its Web site, the Center offers a host of resources, including strategies for reducing junk mail, links to companies' ethical ratings, articles on how to do more with less, and message boards for sharing philosophies, experiences, and even tips on how to talk to others about "new dream" ideas "without sounding preachy."

SUSTAINABLE OKOTOKS

Okotoks is a small town in Alberta with a population around 10,000. As a small farming town, this was not the first place I would have looked for a futuristic approach, but to my surprise this little suburb of Calgary is turning out to be a true future leader. They are developing a large solar project, water management system and more. For a look at a futuristic small-town development scheme, I suggest taking a look at what Okotoks is doing.

About Sustainable Okotoks
In 1998, Okotoks was at an intersection. To the right was the conventional approach to community planning - assume the inevitability of growth, which meant annexing and planning for infrastructure expansion.

We would eventually need costly regional utilities (like water and sewage treatment). With growth, we would also struggle to maintain or improve the community qualities Okotokians hold close to their hearts.

To the left was a road little travelled - a more sustainable journey. We could think and plan differently about how the future would unfold for Okotoks. We still had the ability to live within the natural carrying capacity of the Sheep River. And, we could pursue responsible development and only have to make a few minor boundary adjustments. In the end preserving a sense of community and the “small town atmosphere” Okotokians desired.

To purchase a copy of the Okotoks Sustainable Community Design File Report July 2002 available on CD please contact Town of Okotoks Communciations.

http://www.okotoks.ca/sustainable/overview.asp 

WATER TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER

 A new center to explore technologies for increasing and improving the water supply has been formed at the University of California, Los Angeles, Samueli School of Engineering. Researchers will study ways to turn brackish or seawater into fresh water, as well as develop methods to integrate desalination efforts with innovative energy-generation technologies that reduce costs. Saline and brackish waters constitute more than 97% of the water in the world. As human population grows, the demand for water will inevitably increase. Current desalination methods, such as reverse osmosis, are plagued with problems such as membranes becoming fouled by bacteria, organic matter, or mineral salts. "As finite water sources are depleted, we must look at new ways to address the serious water problems that confront us," says desalination expert Yoram Cohen, who will head the new Water Technology Research Center, or WaTeR. "We must innovate our way to clean, affordable water independence." SOURCE: University of California, Los Angeles: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/page.asp?RelNum=6268

These articles propose ways to enhance the quality of life in the future.

Cheaper Solar Power Heads Mainstream – (Yahoo News – May 22, 2007)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070522/sc_nm/solar_costs_worldwatch_dc
Solar is the fastest growing energy source, but still provides less than 1% of the world's electricity, in part because its power can cost homeowners twice as much as power from the grid.  But costs could fall 40% in the next few years as polysilicon becomes more available. Two major trends will accelerate the growth of photovoltaics: the development of advanced technologies, and the emergence of China as a low-cost producer.

Catalyst Could Help Turn CO2 into Fuel -- (New Scientist -- March 15, 2007)
http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/
dn11390-catalyst-could-help-turn-cosub2sub-into-fuel.html
A new catalyst that can split carbon dioxide gas could allow us to use carbon from the atmosphere as a fuel source in a similar way to plants. Plants use the energy of sunlight to cleave the relatively stable chemical bonds between the carbon and oxygen atoms in a carbon dioxide molecule. In photosynthesis, the CO2 molecule is initially bonded to nitrogen atoms, making reactive compounds called carbamates. These less stable compounds can then be broken down, allowing the carbon to be used in the synthesis of other plant products, such as sugars and proteins.

Using Solar Energy to Keep Homes Cool -- (CNET -- March 20, 2007)
http://news.com.com/Using+solar+energy+to+
keep+homes+cool/2100-11392_3-6168616.html?tag=nefd.lede
A new type of air conditioning system will lower electricity costs substantially, according to its manufacturers. If these units gained widespread use, they could also reduce the odds of summer “brown outs”, power outages caused because homes and buildings crank up their air conditioners. The unit operates at a maximum of 500 watts, far less than half what typical air conditioning units use.

A Greenhouse-Gas Greenhouse -- (Patrick Tucker --The Futurist, Nov-Dec 2006)

The problem of decreasing carbon-dioxide emissions without crippling economic growth has confounded some of the world's top thinkers. Recently, however, a tomato grower in the UK stumbled upon a strikingly straightforward solution: Use greenhouse gasses--in greenhouses.

Vegetable grower John Baarda Ltd., in partnership with chemical company Terra Nitroge, has built a greenhouse facility near Billingham, England, that uses industrial CO₂ waste as a crop enhancer. The site is the largest greenhouse complex in the UK, with some 23 acres fully planted with tomatoes. Once operating at optimal capacity, the complex is expected to divert 12,500 tons of carbon dioxide from the Terra Nitrogen plant--carbon that otherwise would have been released into the air. Waste steam will also be sequestered and diverted to the greenhouse site to power heat lamps.

Solar Power Eliminates Utility Bills in U.S. Home -- (Reuters -- January 18, 2007)
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=inDepthNews&storyID
=2007-01-18T142352Z_01_N09381735_RTRUKOC_0_US-SOLAR-
HOME.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C5-inDepthNews-2
Michael Strizki heats and cools his house year-round and runs a full range of appliances including such power-guzzlers as a hot tub and a wide-screen TV without paying a penny in utility bills. His conventional-looking family home in the pinewoods of western New Jersey is the first in the United States to show that a combination of solar and hydrogen power can generate all the electricity needed for a home.

A Modest Proposal-- (Economist -- October 26, 2006)
http://www.theelectroniceconomist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8086839
How to provide clean water to the vast and arid north of China has long been a headache for its rulers. Of late they have considered more ambitious proposals. One example would involve diverting water hundreds of kilometers from Tibet at a cost of tens of billions of dollars. What about a more modest approach: using market-driven prices to deter waste and pollution?

Philanthropy Google’s Way: Not the Usual -- (NY Times -- September 14, 2006)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/14/technology/14google.html?
ex=1159243200&en=c2ca0e351b6852d1&ei=5070
The founders of Google have created a philanthropic organization, giving it seed money of about $1 billion and a mandate to tackle poverty, disease and global warming. However, unlike most charities, this one will be for-profit, allowing it to fund start-up companies, form partnerships and even lobby Congress. One of its maiden projects reflects the philanthropy’s nontraditional approach. Google.org plans to develop an ultra-fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid car engine that runs on ethanol, electricity and gasoline.

These articles propose solutions to the abuse of power in the future.

POST 9/11 PRIVACY AND SECRECY: A REPORT CARD  -- (Wired -- September 8, 2006)
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/internet/0,71741-0.html?tw=3Dwn_index_9
For more than six hours activists and intellectuals will answer the world's most pressing questions as submitted and rated by the internet community. Every word will be translated and archived online as the seeds of a discussion site operated by a group called Dropping Knowledge. This round table marks the opening of an experiment in bringing protest, political dissent and activism into the internet age. The group wants to create and sustain a new kind of global dialog, by prompting people online to ask and answer the questions on their mind.

 

 

Proposing solutions to existing or future problems is an important part of building a better future.  Taking these ideas into account facilitates setting realistic and optimistic waypoints, but future building does not focus on solutions by themselves. Solutions are merely a step towards an action plan.