World Futures Fall 2021

A good pair to my previous post - a nice summary of what needs to happen for electric propulsion in aviation. Four concepts are discussed: air taxis, 20-passenger commuter aircrafts, 50-passenger regional jets and 150-passenger, single-aisle 737 class aircraft.

The 2021 Strategic Foresight Report focuses on key global megatrends that will continue to affect the EU in the coming decades: from climate change, technological acceleration and digitalization, to major economic, geopolitical and demographic shifts.

A very interesting but lengthy read. The report describes a system for using foresight to develop EU R&I policy, which includes: - a set of future scenarios for different World Regions, - a mechanism for signposting relevant trends and - a process for assessing policy options combining standard policy assessment mechanisms with future scenarios. The regional scenarios include: ● China ● Japan, South Korea & Taiwan ● ASEAN ● India & its Neighbours ● Australia & New Zealand ● Russia & Central Asia ● The Middle East & North Africa ● Sub-Saharan Africa ● Central & South America ● United States, Canada & Mexico

A fun set of four short videos with differing scenarios titled 'Future of Buildings - 2040'

Very interesting 'Circular Future," I like how they view structures and buildings as: 'Material Banks.' I also like how they framed this with terms like "new revenue streams" and "economic growth."

Companies are using Solar Power for Steel Production which in turn is being used for Oil Drilling. Author Tina Casey says, "Oh the irony, it burns! Solar power is supposed to open the door on a new era in which humans and their ecosystems exist in harmony, but for now the record is still stuck on fossil energy." "It is the largest on-site solar facility in the US dedicated to a single customer, with more than 750,000 solar panels providing nearly all the plant's annual electricity demand," bp enthused in a press release earlier this week. "This will enable the mill to produce some of the world's greenest steel and steel products."

Would you eat meat grown in a lab to save the world? The $10 million award will enable the creation of the first-ever U.S. government-funded cultivated protein research center of excellence and represents U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s first investment in cultivated meat to date. USDA awarded the grant as a part of a $146 million investment in sustainable agricultural research projects announced by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on October 6.

Oil prices keep going up and up. And two of the most famous names in private equity are stepping down from the company they founded nearly half a century ago. Plus, the billionaire space race may not be much of a race, after all, because Elon Musk is so far ahead. Musk can spread the cost across so many products. He is winning contracts with NASA. He also landed moon lander (3 Billion). He has real scale...the risk is starship.

1. Increased automation and embedded financial services simplify daily activities 2. Cross-industry partnerships flourish allowing customers' financial and non-financial services needs to be addressed simultaneously 3. Customers will not think about financial services

"To their fans, the promise of expanding our reach beyond this planet is thrilling. For critics, the money poured into private vanity projects is unforgivable when there is so much to be done right here on Earth. This race has only deepened the divide between those who love to see the very rich launch into space and those who wish they would never come back."

"It is not possible to, I think, destroy crypto, but it is possible for governments to slow down its advancement," Musk said at the Code Conference in Beverly Hills, California. Another indication of Musk starting to need government to go his way. What is the US government becomes anti- Musk or NASA pulls out or is de-funded?

Lists 5 future trends in the shipping industry. All of the make sense, but each is only touched on a bit. Technology and the environment are really the two biggest, but others need to be considered.

An executive summary for the plan for the Port of Virginia for 2065. Talks about increased capacity, need for better throughput and needed investments. Interestingly it doesn't touch on climate change issues per se.

The article talks about government subpoenas to tech companies getting your information--often without you knowing about it for years. Utlimately, it's all about a lack of transparency on the part of the USG.

NHTSA demonstrates its dedication to saving lives on our nation's roads and highways through its proactive and inclusive approach to the safe development, testing, and deployment of new and advanced vehicle technologies that have enormous potential for improving safety and mobility for all Americans, NHTSA demonstrates its dedication to saving lives on our nation's roads and highways.

The U.S. DOT sees AV 3.0 as the beginning of a national discussion about the future of our on-road surface transportation system.

The future of this new technology is so full of promise. It's a future where vehicles increasingly help drivers avoid crashes.

Autonomous technology won't just transform your business. It will utterly revolutionize modern truck designs as well.

Autonomous trucks are simply one component series of an all-new, integrated transportation technologies that will transform global logistics

he Global Autonomous Truck Market size is projected to reach USD 1,550 million by 2030

In short, this is a global challenge because it's not just about food and feeding people, but also about practically all aspects of an economy and society.