Association of Professional Futurists Members In The News

University of Houston FS Program offers Certificate in Strategic Foresight

Cindy Frewen — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:31:33 GMT

The Certificate in Strategic Foresight is being offered by Dr. Peter Bishop at the University of Houston Masters Program for Futures Studies. It's being presented in Houston 21-25 May 2012. It will also be offered in Brussels, Belgium, in partnership with The Destree Institute 28 May - 1 June 2012. For more information, check here. Early registration recommended as past events have sold out.

Future of Limited Resources #futrchat E-Booklet June 2011

Cindy Frewen — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:38:58 GMT

The APF's ninth #futrchat on the Future of Limited Resources for June 2011 is now published as the first futrchat e-book. Thanks to all who participated!

The next futrchat will be Thursday 21 July 2011 4:00-5:00pm ET/NYC, which is 9:00pm BST/London and 6:00am Sydney. Amazingly, many of the Australian futurists made it again to the June chat, the futrchat heroes! I gave you a cuppa coffee in the chat (see ebook pg 10), or tea if you prefer, to accompany Kristin Alford's comments.

A possible July topic that came up is the Future of Growth. Intriguing? let us know what you think. Suggest some topics too, just click on the tab at the top of the page, one, two, or three ideas, all welcome!

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If you have trouble with this ebook, please visit our Profuturists Posterous site to view in pdf format.

Image: Iceberg, Greenland, 2007

The Future of Limited Resources - #futrchat

Cindy Frewen — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:02:05 GMT

You are welcome to join the APF #futrchat Thursday 16 June 2011 4:00-5:00pm ET and voice your views about the Future of Limited Resources.

Jennifer Jarratt and Cindy Frewen will co-host the Future of Limited Resources, asking formal questions and follow ups. Please ask questions that come to you, add links (if they pertain and are not promotional ads), and teach, inform, persuade, enlighten, or provoke us. See Profuturists Posterous for entire post.

What are limited resources?

The economic definition for limited resource is:

Finite quantities of labor, capital, land, and entrepreneurship available to an economy for the production of goods and services. This is one half of the fundamental problem of scarcity that has plagued humanity since the beginning of time. The other half of the scarcity problem is unlimited wants and needs.

Others point to three types: renewable resources like solar and wind, non-renewable like fossil fuels, water, and REM’s, and then finite resources such as natural species with shorter maturation cycles which can be depleted, become extinct, or be managed, such as forests, fish, and land. Furthermore, pollution may ruin without destroying a resource. The variables complicate analysis and solutions. Not to mention, environmental issues such as global warming and natural resource protection are deeply split along political boundaries.

What else should we consider? Does one variable affect another?

Beyond limited resources?

The Malthusian perspective says population growth is the primary variable and therefore, population control should be a global issue. Others say it’s the eco-footprint of and over-use of limited resources in the developed world that is squelching opportunities for the emerging economies. Still others are limit deniers; we will always find a way.

Among futurists and sustainability experts, many assume that we must consider life beyond continual growth. What is a life of equilibrium like? Does a global distribution of resources work? How do we move towards quality and balanced, away from a model of more and bigger. Are we beyond a scarcity mindset and into an abundance frame or vice versa?

Do limited resources mean an inevitable collapse for some? Many would say they already are experiencing collapse. Does it mean war and conflicts? Again, these are happening over oil and water right now. How will we view resources in 2020, 2040, or 2050? More competively or cooperatively?

Join us to ponder these questions at the futrchat on Twitter. See Profuturists Posterous for additional information.

images fossil fuels population forecast

In 100 Years - Starting Now

Cindy Frewen — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:56:54 GMT

Introducing :in100Y from In100Y on Vimeo.

In the first of four seminars for In 100 Years, Gitte Larsen and her partner Steen Svendsen, House of Futures, hosted "Mind the Long Run, Baby!" 8-9 June 2011 in Copenhagen. The topic was the future of sustainable growth. Jennifer Jarratt, Leading Futurists, led a workshop on Culture and Consciousness and Wendy Schultz, Infinite Futures, led a workshop on Nature and Science. The year-long project seeks to explore answers to questions on "sustainability and growth among a wide range of Danish and international stakeholders." Future sessions are "Doing Good, Thanks!" 21-22 September, "No Fixes, Pal!" 2-3 November, and "It's Our Future, Love!" 12-19 January 2012, which will be recapped in a special edition of Issues. The brilliant video provided inspiration and introduced the series.

Ten Conference: 2 Days. 10 Ideas. Unlimited Insights

Cindy Frewen — Fri, 20 May 2011 14:21:16 GMT

Michele Bowman and Christian Crews helped organize the inaugural Ten Conference May 18-20 held in Seattle. The 2011 program for the 10 Conference asks the question: Is business ready for Catalytic Ideas? Richard Lum, Garry Golden, Wendy Schultz, and Lee Shupp shared a wealth of tweets on humblefactories, biomicry, bioscience, and solar.