50 Years into the Future

In my 20% time this semester, I had a choice to either learn how to be ambidextrous, learn sign language, or do enough research to learn how the world will be fifty years in the future. Mrs. Finco was content with the sign language and the ambidextrous projects, but she thought of the future project to be a little unrealistic. Naturally, I chose to learn the future.

My basic motive is to understand how people in both developed and developing countries will live in fifty years. Some questions I will ask myself are:

1. What will be some technological developments in the future?
2. How will the environment change?
3. Will any of the global ways of government and communication change (i.e. Will English still be the global language? Will China still be a communist country?)
4. Will the economy and quality of life decrease or increase

This past week, I researched how environmentalists think the world will change in the net fifty years. Many sources indicate that pollution is increasing, and depending on how the human race decides to act on this issue, things could get worse environmentally. China has 16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities, Beijing being the most polluted. However, some reports indicate that people are polluting less. Though the world is still being hurt, the world is becoming more sustainable. For example, the number of trees being cut in South America and Africa in decreasing. In the far future, there is a strong chance of environmental problems. But in the next fifty years, nothing too devastating should happen. I hope to record this information as well as find out more about it as this project moves along. Next week, I specifically want to find what new ideas and inventions are being developed to help the world environmentally.