The Christian Science monitor reports on a new study by The Millenium Project on the State of the Future:
“It is increasingly clear that the world has the resources to address its challenges.” And this: “[T]he world is getting richer, healthier, better educated, more peaceful, and better connected,” and people are living longer. The trend lines overall point in a positive direction: “[T]he 10-year future for the world is getting better.”
A few other highlights:
• By 2030, the middle class around the world is expected to grow by 66 percent, which is about 3 billion more new consumers with increased purchasing power and expectations. That’s a potential drain on world resources but also a tremendous opportunity for economic growth.
• Today’s worldwide life expectancy at birth is 68 years, which is projected to increase to 81 by 2100. (Life expectancy worldwide a century ago was little more than 30 years due to high infant mortality.)
• Some 85 percent of the world’s population will have a high-speed mobile Internet connection available to them by 2017.
• The number of people in extreme poverty (those living on $1.25 a day or less) fell from 1.94 billion (about half the world’s population) in 1981 to 1.29 billion (about 1 out of 5 people) in 2010, according to the World Bank.
• Over the past two decades, 30 percent fewer children under age 5 worldwide are dying.
• A large majority of people worldwide live in peace.
In a time where our media constantly fills us with fear, perhaps some perspective is in order. Perhaps technology is actually making the world a better, more transparent, richer, more educated, healthier place! And we get to play a part.