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| # 35 My grandchildren's world |
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So what will my grandchildren�s world look like when New Years Eve 2035 rolls around?
That depends on a lot of things:
How we�re doing in World War 4. It�s been bubbling away for the last couple of thousand years or more, and I can�t see any solution in the near future.
How long the oil holds out: Even the most optimistic experts think that she�ll be shagged by 2035.
How the Planet holds up to our best efforts to destroy it: Our desire to spend, spend, spend, sure does create a lot of rubbish and pollution. And by-crickey these once in a 100 year weather events sure do seem to strike pretty regularly, at this rate I must be about 10,000 years old.
How the rest of the Worlds resources cope with a population that is doubling at a stunning rate. What can I say; I have helped raise three children.
How quickly the medicos can react to future Pandemics, Viruses, Plagues and other mutations when the oil runs out. Six months at the earliest for this bird flu thing, the common cold might take a bit longer. Just how large is the oil component in modern medicine?
How the World Economy deals with a looming unshakeable financial recession.
Hmmm, haven�t seen much evidence of sound financial planning from two thirds of the world�s economies, I�d better buy a smaller belt.
How society copes when the infrastructure comes under real pressure. New Orleans has sure been an eye opener as to how a modern western world city copes with a major disaster, and in the world�s richest country as well.
Pakistan�s example of a catastrophe sadly, is probably much more like reality for the majority of us.
How much I do about it now, which creates opportunities for them in the future.
Whatever I do now, it will never be enough and what I do, do, had better be correct.
How much I can convince you lot to do for your own children and grandchildren�s future. I can only keep on trying to wake you lot up, whether you take any notice or not, is your call.
How much we as a Nation do now, that improves our Nations prospects in the future. Doubtful, this is all down to the Politicians, as changes happen in two ways, one by Governmental decree and two by popular demand. Most politicians are governed by popular demand, and no one seems capable of convincing the general population to wake up. However just look at New Zealand�s proud anti nuclear stance, nothing is impossible if the majority want something to happen and it�s definitely Democracy at its finest.
How much we as the World�s dominant species do to insure the World�s long term survival.
Bugger that, I�ll leave that one in the to-hard basket.
So what could we do as a Nation now, to secure our children�s future?
1. Limit immigration of other nationals to near zero, when this recession hits most of the Kiwis living overseas are going to want to return home and our population could double, quickly.
2. Stop relying on the �Just in time� delivery system for food supplies. This is a major mistake we have been making for years and could lead to our cities becoming famine zones in the future. We should actively encourage a greater dispersal of our countries population, because there are far too many people living to far from their food source.
3. Secure our future energy needs now, the UK and Europe have just had a major well deserved wake up call when Russia threatened to turn off the LPG supply to their central heating systems and believe me, Europe without central heating in winter is a future disaster zone, waiting to happen.
4. Actively encourage independent New Zealand research and development into future energy sources, whether this is buy oil exploration, wind farms, hydrogen fuel cells, wave or ocean power, solar power or anything else that works. Let�s become self sufficient world leaders in the field and stop relying on the good graces of others and the idiotic belief that the black stuff is going to last forever.
5. Stop squandering and destroying our fresh water reserves, if you think there�s trouble brewing over the oil situation, wait until the world can�t get enough fresh water.
So what�s the answer to �What will the world look like for my grandchildren in 2035?�
If I knew the answer to that one brother, I�d be a rich man.
But then that is �Just an old trucker�s point of view�
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