This is one of three large-story scenarios I‘ve been using for conversation. It is part of an exploration of what is plausible. I have been thinking that, at the moment, there is no plausible scenario that survives critique, but I am continuing exploration.. The other two, coming, are do nothing, or localization.
Second scenario - Accelerated high tech. This scenario, a version of growth, is the technologists’ dream: all evolving local data of production, consumption, and the health system will be summed up into big data and managed centrally with algorithms. This system will be owned centrally by an integrated platform with companies such as Google, Apple, Amazon, Alibaba, and a few others, including some government agencies such as Darpa, and communications-oriented UN divisions. The integrated platform (United Platform, UP) will demand the authority and the enforceability of their decisions, which means having effective control of national militaries. Financial management will be a complex accounting process owned by the UP. Small countries or regions that have little impact on the world’s climate will be ignored and have to struggle to find a place. This spiderlike system seizes the opportunity for its development based on new models of distribution of resources, population and. needs, summed up and managed by big data, whee everything significant is managed and owned, if ownership still applies, when the UP has control of all assets it wants to manage. Universities, cities, banks and advanced production corporations want us to implement this asset-maintaining, and probably increasing asset scenario. It is obvious that this will require the electrification of everything and short term increase in emissions to build and operate. The belief is that technologies will emerge to meet problems as they emerge. Gardenworld could be a part of this future since food and habitat will still be required and the dominance of the UP will only work if it gains the allegiance of much of the population through felt quality of life.
Thinking big, we need to be aware that the idea is afoot that we should give up on living outside and use our energy to heat and air condition and “purify” inside living, bringing food growing inside with us. Think of Earth as a new Mars-like project exported to Earth. Techno-utopian vision is just an extension of Amazon being able to figure out what book you would most like next. Such a system can choose the congressperson who would best represent your desires better than you can. Thinking big, we need to be aware that the idea is afoot that we should give up on living outside and use our energy to heat and air condition and “purify” inside living. Think of Mars exported to Earth. Techno-utopian vision is just an extension of Amazon being able to figure out what book you would most like next. Such a system can choose the congressperson who would best represent your desires better than you can. “It is either mud huts or the Internet. “