Dear Readers: This Tuesday’s election matters. I don’t believe in using my platform to discuss politics, but I also don’t believe that silence is an option befitting this unique time in American history. I realize almost half of you reading this piece, A Futurist’s Perspective on the Presidential Contest, will disagree with my choice, but I hope you will take the time to read it–especially if you are still undecided. As always, I am open to having an informed, civil conversation with those who disagree with me.
Think in Questions: For a long time, I have felt that one of the best questions we can ask ourselves is this: Are we being good ancestors? (This thinking helped frame my perspective on this year’s presidential contest). An equally provocative question is posed in this recent post by Seth Godin: What do we owe the future? Is it time for you to begin thinking of the future in ever larger circles?
Think Twice: As long-time readers know, the reason we need to think twice can be found in the phrase “think twice“–we may be on “thin ice.” To this end, I have written about the dangers PFAS’ (i.e. “forever chemicals”) pose to America’s farmers and, now, I believe the issue is about to garner more attention because the chemicals have been found to be leaching into groundwater around the country. As more people learn about the threats PFAS’s pose to human health, it is reasonable to think that politicians and regulators will begin taking action to address the issue.
Think Again: To those of you in agriculture, I encourage you to read and think about the implications of this article, Scientists Tinker With Bacteria to Replace Corn Fertilizer. The good news is that the technology has the potential to reduce fertilizer costs by as much as 20 percent. The bad news is that scientists, researchers and regulators still don’t understand the long-term and unintended consequences of the technology. (As an analogy, 50 years ago the EPA didn’t understand or even know about “forever chemicals” and, in the agency’s ignorance, it allowed–and even encouraged–the chemicals to be spread on millions of acres of American farmland.) Personally, I am all in favor of using technology to combat climate change but we need to take the possibility of negative and unintended consequences seriously.
Think Fast: In many of my presentations, I like to show this video of “Jetson”–an operational prototype of a flying car. The idea that you and I may soon be seeing the first air taxis flying over cities is coming faster than many people expect. This is because the FAA has just approved the first regulations granting limited approval for air taxi service. What are the implications of such a change for the airline, real estate industry and hospitality industries? The time is now to begin contemplating such things.
Think Faster: The robots moving inventory parts in this video are incredibly slow and cumbersome. This may lead some people to believe that the technology is still far away from mainstream acceptance. This is a mistake because what people may not grasp is that these slow robots can still work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. They also don’t take breaks, get sick or file worker compensation claims.
Afterthought: “As the Heavens are higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:9
