We have entered the final 25 years in which everything will descend into utter chaos. May it be favorable for all of us.

Let’s take a look at where we stand globally, calling it the “Story so far.”

Nature:

• Global Warming and Climate Change
• Water Scarcity and Depletion of Water Resources
• Antibiotic Resistance
• Disruption of Marine Ecosystems
• Air Pollution
• Plastic and Waste Pollution
• Soil Degradation
• Food Security
• Climate Migration and Social Inequalities
• Loss of Biodiversity

Sociology:

• Rising Socioeconomic Inequality and Polarization
• Digital Transformation and Misinformation
• Failure to Manage Migration and Multiculturalism
• Urban Poverty
• Increasing Levels of Stress and Anxiety

According to United Nations (UN) data, as of November 2022, the world’s population has reached approximately 8 billion. The same reports (World Population Prospects 2022) predict that the global population will be around 9.7 billion by 2050. These estimates are based on statistical models evaluating factors such as birth rates, death rates, migration flows, and regional demographic transition processes.

So, when you add all this up, what potential awaits us?

• New Pandemics and Global Outbreaks
• Cyberattacks and the Vulnerability of Digital Infrastructures
• Erosion of Democracy
• Societal Impacts of Artificial Intelligence and Automation
• New Forms of Extremism and Violence

What do we foresee getting better in the next 25 years?

• Increased use of renewable energy
• Advancements in medical technology, prolonging human life
• A new generation potentially more sensitive to environmental issues
• More efficient use of AI and robotics in our daily lives

When I look at it all, even the supposedly “good” things don’t seem to bring particularly great outcomes.

If I was playing SimCity, I’d have shut down the game by now.

Now, let’s zoom in from the macro to the micro level.

What are you doing?

A retirement plan for 10-20 years from now?

Those who worry about their country’s future are making plans to emigrate, some believe they can live off rental income for life, and others assume they’ll survive simply because they have a roof over their head…

Many individuals will continue to live with local political and economic agendas. They will talk about these, hear about disasters happening in other parts of the world, count their blessings, and get through another year. They’ll fill the gaps in between with personal problems and day-to-day concerns.

According to this data, the best retirement plan is to become a farmer and produce goods. If your goal is to prevent the extinction of the human race, your chances of survival in the event of a series of catastrophic events are much higher compared to those who don’t do so.

Personally, I believe that whether you’re white-collar, blue-collar, or a business owner, you’ve probably got about 5, maybe 10 more years of “Alors on Danse” ahead of you.

After that, things get tricky…

Sources:

•WHO and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reports emphasize that pandemics similar to COVID-19 could recur and that a new pathogen, dubbed “Disease X,” could emerge at any moment.
•Studies in medical journals like The Lancet suggest that deforestation and the loss of natural habitats increase the risk of zoonotic diseases.
•The WEF (World Economic Forum) Global Risk Report lists cyberattacks high among the “most significant and likely risks” each year.
•ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity) and NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) reports highlight serious gaps in protecting critical infrastructure.
•Freedom House and the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute reports show that democracy has declined in many countries over the past decade.
•Economist Intelligence Unit’s “Democracy Index” data also indicate an acceleration in the erosion of political and civil liberties.
•WEF “The Future of Jobs” reports predict that millions of jobs will be transformed or disappear over the next 10-20 years due to AI and automation.
•AI reports from institutions like MIT and Stanford warn of serious issues like algorithmic bias and data monopolies.
•Terror and organized crime reports by Europol and the FBI show that online radicalization and technological armament are on the rise.
•RAND Corporation research points out that biological and cyber terrorism could be among the greatest security threats in the future.
•According to data from the IEA (International Energy Agency), installed solar and wind capacity has grown exponentially over the past decade, with record new capacity being added each year since the 2020s.
•IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) reports project that over 70% of the world’s energy supply could come from renewable sources by 2050.
•BloombergNEF projections indicate that the cost of solar energy will continue to drop below competitive levels against fossil fuels well into the 2030s.
•WHO (World Health Organization) data show that new treatments and vaccines developed for infectious diseases (e.g., HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis) have saved millions of lives in the past 20 years.
•Research by the NIH (U.S. National Institutes of Health) and EMBL-EBI (European Bioinformatics Institute) reveals the growing potential of CRISPR-based gene editing technologies, which are increasingly translating into more tangible treatments. In particular, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and CAR-T cell therapies in cancer treatment could further increase survival rates over the next 25 years.
•UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and IPCC reports indicate that countries are making clearer commitments to reduce emissions compared to the past and are increasing their investments in renewable energy.
•Polls by Eurobarometer and the Pew Research Center confirm that global public opinion (especially among the youth) is strongly aware of and demands action on environmental and climate policies. As companies become more active on issues like the “Green Deal,” “Net Zero,” and “Circular Economy,” the transition to more sustainable business models could accelerate in the future.

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