I've been pondering Peter Diamandis' "
20 Megatrends for the Roaring 20s" (ht: Jim Cashel). Diamandis is co-author of the 2012 best seller "
Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think", founder of the
X Prize Foundation, and cofounder of
Singularity University. He gets around.
Most of the list might be classed as tech-utopianism. For example, 18 of the 20 megatrends are driven by advancements in artificial intelligence or machine learning while 15 (at least) rely on high-bandwidth networks. These are cool tools, but like CRISPR (trend #20), have no intrinsic guidance towards good or ill.
What about regeneration? He never uses the term and a first glance is not very encouraging. Megatrend 19 looks a bit like filler:
Increased focus on sustainability and the environment and #16 is going to drive my holistic grazing brethren nuts:
Cellular agriculture moves from the lab into inner cities, providing high-quality protein that is cheaper and healthier.
Still, if you squint, you start to see regeneration emerge. #1 is a big one -
Continued increase in global abundance. Diamandis has a very helpful explanation of "an
abundance mindset" and its contrast with a scarcity mindset. Plus, he expects
Globally abundant, cheap renewable energy (#10) which creates a lot of regenerative potential.
A hidden gem is #11:
The insurance industry transforms from “recovery after risk” to “prevention of risk”. This is a subject
Bobby Fishkin has been talking about. Bobby argues that charging for risk recovery, without investing in risk prevention, is unethical. Regenerative landscapes can help prevent many kinds of risk including floods, fire, and drought.
Might risk prevention become a motivation (and funding source?) for regenerative efforts on land and in sea? Could risk prevention become the regenerative nose under the extractive tent?
That's a megatrend for the roaring 20's.
