Think Hard: According to a new study, wind and solar could meet 85 percent of current electricity needs. This is promising news but it requires advocates of renewable energy (myself included) to think harder about the type of energy society must rely upon to meet the remaining 15 percent of our energy needs when the sun isn’t shining, the wind isn’t blowing, or our batteries can’t store enough energy to meet demand. (FYI: Earlier this week, China announced it intends to build the world’s largest wind and solar farm in the Gobi desert. It will produce 450 gigawatts of power.)

Think Harder: This article, What the Remote Work Revolution Means for Cities, gave me plenty to think about and it will provide real estate industry professionals much to think about as well. I found the implications for the “five day workweek” and making the office an “experience” (in order to attract workers back into the office) to be ideas worthy of some of our “thinking time.”

Think Fast: The future is arriving fast! If you are in the healthcare industry, this article will give plenty to think about: Single DNA Test for Over 50 Genetic Diseases Will Reduce Diagnosis from Decades to Days.

Think Cleaner: Most experts and futurists believe water will be a serious issue in the future. Personally, I agree with this assessment but there is hope on the horizon as this article suggests: Alphabet (Google) Has Designed a Low-Cost Device to Make Clean Water.

Think Bigger: The worker shortage is going to be with us for a while. Many businesses, especially in  the fast food industry, are already innovating their way into the future. White Castle is the latest–the company has recently purchased 100 robots to replace short-order cooks.

Think Sustainably: It is pretty clear that the environmental consequences of plastic packaging outweigh the convenience that the packaging provides. Still, few consumer manufacturers are willing or able to reduce their plastic use. It is therefore incumbent upon the plastic industry to find sustainable alternatives. One new possibility the industry should be thinking more seriously about is making packaging from seaweed. (P.S. In case you missed it, last week 175 nations signed a treaty on plastic waste.)

Afterthought: “It’s while it’s being lived that life is immortal, while it’s still alive.”Marguerite Duras