LINKS OF THE WEEK: Feb 12, 2024
Interesting stats on EVs and energy use in the US, developments in wind and tidal power, a plastic recycling microfactory, and an "unprecedented collapse" in EU fossil fuel generation.
When you imagine your best possible vision for what the world could look like in the next 10, 50, or even 100 years, what does that future look like for you?
I’m not talking about the kind of future you DON’T want. The one you dread. The one that makes you want to rage and grieve and curl into a ball to hide from the thought of it.
The world you dream of experiencing. The utopian sci-fi/fantasy vision that makes you think, “That would be AMAZING if only it were true.”
What does that world look like, when you close your eyes and allow yourself to imagine it?
(Here’s what mine looks like.)
Because I believe we can only create a future that we are capable of imagining.
And right now it seems to me that too many people are spending too much of their mental energy envisioning the WORST possible future for humanity. The one they don’t want but fear is inevitable given all of THIS <<waves hands at the general state of the world>>.
I don’t mean to minimize the very scary problems we face as a society and planet. It is A LOT and I am well aware that we are almost certain to see a lot of tragedy and upheaval in the decades to come.
(As we always have throughout the history of the world. Life is beautiful, but it isn't always kind.)
And the more proactive we are in preparing for that future and doing what we can to ensure that as many people as possible are able to thrive, the better off we all will be.
Never forget that problem-solving is kind of our “thing” as a species!
We learned how to sail the seas and circumnavigate the world. We figured out to liberate ourselves from gravity’s stranglehold and fly through the skies like birds. We discovered a way to send people to the freaking MOON and robots to the distant edges of our solar system and beyond.
No matter how myopically cruel and reckless we might sometimes be – or how stupidly colossal our mistakes often are – humans are actually pretty awesome.
We have the miraculous ability to create something out of nothing purely by virtue of our imagination and relentless determination.
And if we can send people to the moon using mathematical equations worked out by hand with pencil and paper, we can figure out a way to live more sustainably and in greater peace and harmony with each other and the rest of the living beings we share this planet with.
I believe it is 100% within our capacity to do so. We just have to want it badly enough. And the first step to making that happen is to get clear on what that bright future could look like. So we can start getting excited about it and working together on a much bigger scale to make it happen.
So I ask you again: what does your *best possible vision* of our shared future look like?
It’s only by envisioning it – and TALKING about it, and planning forward, and taking action to make it happen – that we become capable of making it a reality.
One way to get started is by considering these key fundamentals that can help to shape Our Awesome Future:
Happy exploring!🤘