The future of British Society.

[joe-90]

I'm wondering how the people of this forum expect the future to pan out.

Let's say in 10 years, 25 years and 50 years.

In 25 years I'll be too old to care, but my, and your, kids will be around.

No matter how I look at things I just can't see anything getting better.

We all know that oil is running out.

The world population is out of control.

Food and energy prices will continue to outpace inflation.

Less and less work for those of us in the West.

We are also creating an underclass that will continue to riot.

Hope I've got it all wrong - how do you see it panning out?

 

[Bahco]

Have you always been an optimist Joe?




The glass is always half full IMO

 

[Norcon]

With the forth coming energy famine there will be rioting that will make the recent riots look like a teddy bear picnic.
Permaculture is one solution to a sustainable future. I think there's only one such gardenfarm in the whole of the UK. Its a whole new concept and alien to modern farmers.
No ploughing for example and the land planted over with trees of all kinds.

 

[Space cat]

We all know that oil is running out.

That's true, but it won't happen over night. As easily accessible oil becomes scarce, the price will go up and it will become economically viable to go after fossil fuels in more difficult locations. This can't go on forever but --

In 25 years time (certainly 50) I would expect KSTAR to be on-line with more to follow. Energy problem solved - or is it?

The world population is out of control.

That's the real threat. If we aren't careful, we'll use all the energy we can produce to feed our ever-growing population until the entire planet is covered in a monolithic city many miles deep - and it still won't be enough!

Food and energy prices will continue to outpace inflation.

That statement doesn't makes sense but I think I know what you mean. Here in our corner of Europe, we've enjoyed the benefits of cheap food and energy (for the two are related) for a long time. Dwindling oil and rising population will change that and I predict that we will spend a greater proportion of our income on them over the coming decades.

Less and less work for those of us in the West.

Wouldn't you like to spend less time at work? I know I would. The tricky bit is sharing out the work so that everybody gets some.

We are also creating an underclass that will continue to riot.

We didn't create them. The scum will always be with us. For better or worse, they are in our DNA. I would also add that attempts to breed them out could have unforseen consequences. What else might be lost in the process? It's a popular theme for sci-fi writers.

On the bright side ---

We are all descended from the same proto-human hominid that evolved somewhere in Africa a long, long time ago.

We all have much the same intelligence.

We all have much the same needs.

We all have much the same foibles.

Here in Europe - and especially in Northern Europe - we like to think that we're somehow 'more advanced' than everybody else and this may be true but that just means that the rest have some social and political catching up to do. Today we are witnessing the so called Arab Spring - and I wish them well. The fight for free speech was hard won. Some time in the not too distant future, I predict that it will be followed by the Arab Summer of Love.

You think I'm joking!

 

[Norcon]

And also the Chinese and Indian spring. The rising power of the eastern infidel will not bow meekly to the arab/muslim world.

 

[Space cat]

And also the Chinese and Indian spring.

Good point. China is coming along in leaps and bounds through a curious mix of state control and free enterprise. It might not make sense to us but it's certainly working for them. They don't seem to be bogged down in religious dogma either. Does anybody know the dominant religion in China? Is there one?

India should already be ahead of us - and in some ways they were but then they lost it. (You could say the same about Greece and Egypt.) Maybe the caste system was their undoing.

 

[Deleted member 63160]

Buddhism is Chinas main I recall. Thats why pound for pound there's less
nutters.

 

[Nige F]

We all know that oil is running out.

We all have much the same foibles.

You think I'm joking!

Fossil fuels - open the mines with a statue of A. Scargill @ each one

 

[spacecat]

There are 2 main global issues

Over population and over consumption


we need neutral population growth and much less consumption

when you think about how much we waste its absolutely shocking

over 1 third of all food in the uk is thrown away, we drive cars everywhere, we over heat our homes.

we buy all sorts goods that we will never use apaprently most people wear about 30% of their clothes and shoes

we upgrade everything cars,phones and tvs all the time without need

we have become a throw away society and TOTALLY materialistic society

the riots were a good sign of what motivates people, TV's, computers, jewellery etc its quite sad

 

[misterdubya]

China has Neodymium. A lot of it, and it will not sell it.

Its getting critical - especially for car and computer manufacturers. Forget your fossil fuels for now - every computer uses this 'rare Earth magnet'. In fact, any 'disc playing' machine has to use it.

A magnet I bought for £55 is now selling for £179 - less than 9 months after I bought it.

Toyota are trying to find a replacement as far as I know. Well, good luck to them.

 

[spacecat]

China has Neodymium. A lot of it, and it will not sell it.

Its getting critical - especially for car and computer manufacturers. Forget your fossil fuels for now - every computer uses this 'rare Earth magnet'. In fact, any 'disc playing' machine has to use it.

A magnet I bought for £55 is now selling for £179 - less than 9 months after I bought it.

Toyota are trying to find a replacement as far as I know. Well, good luck to them.

apparently the japenese have discovered a load of these minerals recently

 

[wreckedit]

You know when you tell your children to, say, don't eat/use all that now save some for later. Well, I do believe that is how are society will be looked on by our future generations. We will be looked upon as the selfish load of bastards who couldn't stop using up resources like it was infinite. Not trying to save some for our off-springs children.

 

[joe-90]

We use our resources like there is no tomorrow,

So guess what?

There is no tomorrow.



Those of us born just after WW2 have lived in a Golden Age - and it's coming to an end.

Reality is about to bite us on the glans.

 

[Space cat]

over 1 third of all food in the uk is thrown away, we drive cars everywhere, we over heat our homes.

we buy all sorts goods that we will never use apaprently most people wear about 30% of their clothes and shoes

we upgrade everything cars,phones and tvs all the time without need

And you know what; I get slagged off on a regular basis for eating out-of-date food, walking half a mile to the shop, having only as many clothes as I need (do I care if they're 'so last year' ) and keeping a car that's 11 years old just because it hasn't rusted yet . You can't win; you really can't.

 

[Norcon]

I know a guy who has had only two cars in the last 28 years.
Both Toyota's. Way to go eh.