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Australia in 2025: A Happy Scenario |
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Written by Dr Peter Saul
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Wednesday, 08 November 2006 |
 The President of the Republic of Australia has just announced the date of the 2026 election. As was the case in the last two elections, the policy platform of all major political parties outlines their particular approach to making Australia more “authentically happy”. This term had been defined more than two decades ago by Dr Martin Seligman as describing the state of using one’s unique talents and strengths in the service of others.
After a decade of global crisis (see historical background below), the Liberal, Labor and Green parties are once again fighting the election on their different platforms for promoting a society where “progress” and “success” are defined in terms of human happiness, social harmony and wellbeing rather than GDP, median incomes and stockmarket indices. These traditional economic indicators have now become of secondary importance, providing they are above the threshold levels agreed several years ago by all major parties at a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 November 2006 )
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The Sustainability Tipping Point: will we seize the opportunity or fudge it? |
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Written by Ian Dunlop
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Sunday, 29 October 2006 |
 We are about to experience the convergence of three of the great issues confronting humanity. Climate change, the peaking of oil supply and water shortage are coming together in a manner which will profoundly alter our way of life, our institutions and our ability to prosper on this planet. Each one is a major issue in its own right, but their convergence has received minimal attention, which is unfortunate as it is likely to have far greater impact than the sum of the individual parts. It is time to join the dots and consider how well prepared we are to handle this challenge.
Population as ever is the main driver. In the 60 years since WW2, world population has grown at an unprecedented rate from 2.5 billion to 6.5 billion today and even with declining birthrates, a world population of 9 billion is forecast by 2050. That growth triggered an insatiable demand for natural resources, notably water, oil and other fossil fuels. For example, oil production over this period grew from 2.5 to 30 billion barrels annually, the bulk being consumed by the 1 billion of us fortunate enough to live in the developed world. One result of this increase in fossil fuel consumption is almost certainly the climate change we are experiencing today, which in turn is exacerbating water shortage in many areas.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 November 2006 )
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AusForesight 2006: a taste of the future? |
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Written by Tim Longhurst
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Wednesday, 18 October 2006 |
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High energy and productive interaction were dominant features of the AusForesight conference in Melbourne in October, when the extended Australian foresight community came together over two days of total immersion in the future.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 November 2006 )
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