Think Big: This startup is using balloons to cool the planet. The idea might sound ridiculous to some people and it may seem far-fetched to others but the future has a way of surprising people. I encourage those interested in bold but constructive ways to combat the planet’s rising temperatures to read and think about the article. The plan is not risk-free. The more formal name for the technology is stratospheric Aerosol Injection and it offers only a short-term solution to the problem and it could damage the Ozone layer and possibly adversely affect some crops.
Think Small: Tomorrow’s biggest trends often start small. Last week, the news that Delta Airlines sent off its first-ever flight using a sustainable cover crop (camellia) caught my attention. Of course, a single flight in a world with an estimated 100,000-130,000 flights everyday is less than “a drop-in-the-bucket” but the number could grow and this could be great news for farmers. In Georgia, LanzaJet is hoping to produce 9 million gallons of sustainable fuel produced from corn. If the fuel scales (and this is still a big “if”) it could be a game-changer.
Think Again: What was old may be new again. In the future, expect a growing number of people to get their water from taps instead of bottled water. Why? Simple, every minute of every day the world uses 1 million bottles. Approximately 90 percent of these bottles are never recycled. As a result, the bottles make their way into landfills and the ocean where they slowly break down and leach harmful chemicals into the land and water. Over time, these microplastics end up inside us. From my perspective as a futurist, it is only a matter of time before more people begin both changing their behavior (and buying fewer bottles of water) and electing politicians to combat the issue.
Think Different: An article entitled “In Defense of Megalomania” is not one I would usually consider reading. (In my case this is because I think the world has too many megalomaniacs as it is). Nevertheless, I read the article and am glad I did because it challenged me to consider megalomania from a different perspective. I’ll let you make up your own mind on the topic, but this line resonated with me: “But without creators who are willing to take great risks, there can be no great art. ” This is true not only with art but also in so many other aspects of our lives–business, politics, fashion, etc. The bottom line is this: The future is often created by those willing to take incredible risks. Occasionally, these risk-takers–love or hate them–are megalomaniacs. Sometimes we have to take the good with the bad.
Think Visually: Last week, I shared this story about how Norway is now selling more electric vehicles than gas-powered cars. Norway is a small country. China, however, is not and this visual should wake up anyone who doesn’t think EV’s will play an outsized role in the future:
Afterthought: “One cannot choose sides on a round planet.” – Wayne Dyer
