The World Future Society conference was in Orlando, Florida on July 10th and 11th this summer. The annual conference provides a “neutral forum for exploring possible, probable and preferable futures.” The WFS also produces and distributes a magazine publication titled THE FUTURIST, which covers events and trends that are relevant to thinking about the future. The latest issue of THE FUTURIST included an article highlighting the “Best of Houston Foresight” presentation at the World Future Society earlier this year. University of Houston graduate students Laura Schlehuber, Kurt Callaway and Jim Breaux each presented projects they undertook as a part of their coursework in the Foresight program.
Laura Schlehuber presented on the future of national performance indicators. Laura’s presentation argued that relying on solely on Gross Domestic Product as a measure of progress is problematic. She shared other metrics that create a more holistic representation of a country and its citizens well-being. One such metric is the GPI, or Genuine Progress Indicator. GPI supplements economic data with social and environmental factors which gives policy makers a more-complete picture when planning for the future.
Kurt Callaway spoke of the future of harvesting material resources from asteroids and comets. His presentation laid out the strategies and hurdles we face in exploiting the rare-earth minerals found in outer space. Kurt argued that if we can “mine platinum and other expensive metals in space, their prices will plummet and they can be used in new ways.”
Jim Breaux spoke on the future of emergency preparedness. His presentation imagines the implications for disaster recovery in a future fueled by population growth in the costal United States. The presentation laid out scenarios for how housing regulations, home costs, private disaster recovery businesses practices and government funding might be affected in the future.
Videos of the student presentations were posted to our blog earlier this summer, and can be found here.
The World Future Society’s next conference will be held in San Francisco, California the weekend of July 24th at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. Reduced rates are currently available for those who register early.
