Futurist Gerd Issue #48: The Good Future, Trump not a fluke, Net-Zero Fink and more
Greetings
I hope you are well. It seems as if, since the U.S. presidential transition, things have calmed down a bit - at least when it comes to political dramas. That is certainly something I am thankful for;)
Yet there are so many challenges affecting the world, with Covid-19, climate change, inequality, and the human challenges resulting from unfettered and exponential technological growth leading the way.
So it is no coincidence that these existential risks/opportunities are the subject of my brand-new 2021 keynote talk (as well as an upcoming short film): "THE GOOD FUTURE - People, Planet, Purpose & Prosperity"; see below. *I know, it sounds ambitious... but bear with me.
It is in that spirit and as the world struggles with vaccine distribution, rethinking capitalism (allegedly), debating that ominous great reset and geopolitical power games that I send you these snippets and links below, which I hope you enjoy. Because the one thing that always helps when addressing large issues is being informed, truly understanding and seeing how it all hangs together.
So ...here's the best of what I've been looking at the past 7 days.
Be safe and well
Greetings from Zurich
Gerd
The Good Future: People, Planet, Purpose and Prosperity — www.futuristgerd.com
The Covid19 crisis is indeed a powerful accelerator, amplifying these essential questions: What kind of future do we want? Is our economic logic suitable for the future (my short answer: no)? Will ‘free and open markets’ deliver solutions for complex global issues? Is it finally time to leave GDP behind, and embrace GPIs or GNHs? I would LOVE your feedback on this - just hit reply and fire away.
Climate Change and ? New Capitalism ?
BlackRock’s Larry Fink: Companies MUST GO Net-Zero By 2050 — www.blackrock.com
5* Must-read. "Companies that are not quickly preparing themselves will see their businesses and valuations suffer, as these same stakeholders lose confidence that those companies can adapt their business models to the dramatic changes that are coming". **also read my post summarising his points.
4 ways the U.S. can reassert leadership on climate change | Bill Gates — www.gatesnotes.com
Bill Gates explains how the U.S. can reassert leadership on climate change and how the new administration can help put the world on a path to zero emissions.
Biden's Latest Executive Orders Are The Most Aggressive Moves On Climate Change Of Any President — www.buzzfeednews.com The executive orders will take aim at fossil fuels and set the US up to be an international leader in tackling the climate crisis.
Geopolitics
To Counter China’s Rise, the U.S. Should Focus on Xi - POLITICO — www.politico.com
“The single most important challenge facing the United States in the twenty-first century is the rise of an increasingly authoritarian China under President and General Secretary Xi Jinping.”
Davos 2021: Billionaires, big tech and vaccines top the WEF agenda — news.trust.org Xi Jinping, Ursula von der Leyen and Greta Thunberg were among those present at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering, held online this year
Fareed Zakaria's Global Briefing: Trump was not a fluke (OMG) — view.newsletters.cnn.com
“Kirshner writes: “The 2020 election put to rest the comforting fable that Trump’s election was a fluke. Trump is the United States—or at least a very large part of it. Many Americans will choke on that sentiment, but other countries don’t have the luxury of clinging to some idealized version of the United States’ national character. Trump presided over dozens of ethical scandals, egregious procedural lapses, and startling indiscretions, most of which would have ended the political career of any other national political figure of the past half century.”
Big Tech and Bad Feelings
Apple CEO links Facebook's business model to real-world violence — www.cnbc.com
"If a business is built on misleading users, on data exploitation, on choices that are no choices at all, it ... deserves scorn," Tim Cook said" I couldn't agree more.
On Tech: Facebook is hated — and rich — messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com
Shira Ovide / NYT. "FB said on Wednesday that its sales — nearly all of which come from the ads it sells on Facebook, on Instagram and its other apps — reached nearly $86 billion in 2020 and are growing rapidly... This is a company that’s embroiled in a different scandal each week and that people say they dislike, yet its products are used by billions of people, and businesses spent like crazy on ads during a pandemic to reach..."
Future Schlock — Real Life vs Techno-Utopianism — reallifemag.com
Jeff Bezos once claimed that a key to Amazon’s success was its utopian project of “customer obsession” — a relentless drive to provide unmatched services to all consumers rather than focusing on what its competition is doing.
Why is it the “thought leaders” in Silicon Valley don’t talk much about techno-utopianism anymore?
Read. Now. Stop the Netflix binges.
» Must-Read Book by Rutger Bregman: Humankind – A Hopeful History (some shared highlights) — www.futuristgerd.com » Must-Read Book by Rutger Bregman: Humankind – A Hopeful History (some shared highlights) - I am currently a really important book called HumanKind by Rutger Bregman that addresses an essential question I have debated with many people for a long time: Are human beings kind, good, benevolent and collaborative by nature, or not? This book answers this debate, once...
Big Ideas 2021: Innovation Research by ARK Invest — ark-invest.com
Big Ideas 2021, is ARK's annual research publication seeking to highlight the latest research and developments in innovation. DIVE IN. Really worth it.
The Spanish Audio Book Version of Technology vs Humanity is now available — www.amazon.com
Tecnología versus Humanidad: El futuro choque entre hombre y máquina (Spanish Edition) More at www.techvshuman.com
Department of Streaming Geekdom
This is what my new Streaming TV studio looks like – I call it ‘Keynote Television’ — www.futuristgerd.com
Many of you have asked me how I do my online keynotes, specifically my green screens, lights, virtual backgrounds etc. So here are some pictures and below is a short video from Twitter but the bottom line is... it's complicated and yes I know it's kinda messy:)
That is all I have for now, but be sure to check your inbox Tuesday for the next newsletter. Until then, have a great week from suddenly warm but still way-too-rainy Switzerland.