Help me make the World of Tomorrow!

[Mister Andersen]

Don't forget the effects of global warming. Many of the Pacific Island nations such as Micronesia are facing obliteration in the here and now due to rising sea levels. Low-lying regions will be inundated, forcing populations inland, further taxing resources. By 2111 there may well be any number of sea-going arcologies and sub-surface oceanic settlements

[MilitiaJim]

Global warming will make feeding a growing population easier though:  Canada and big chunks of Russia will open up to farming and increase their output.  (Assuming that there is enough warming to matter for that.  Higher CO2 content does help plants grow faster.)

[Agent 333]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

The idea that I had that prevents China from being a superpower is mainly internal strife and a depleted population caused by the gender imbalance. I imagine Hong Kong will either become a separate city-state, or join with Taiwan...

The US's downfall is mostly economic, I'd think. They'd still be considered a force to be reckoned with, but not the super-power we are now.

I definitely like the idea of North Africa being used as a solar power farm, hadn't thought of that.

I like the idea of China lashing out at it's neighbors in its death throws. Starts a couple wars to try distract from the internal strife, ends up backfiring as Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and NATO take pieces of it...

You guys have definitely given me lots of ideas, keep 'em coming!

[paddyfool]

The idea that I had that prevents China from being a superpower is mainly internal strife and a depleted population caused by the gender imbalance. I imagine Hong Kong will either become a separate city-state, or join with Taiwan...

Ah, the demographic doom theory.  What'll really prove a stumbling block to China demographically, in my opinion, is simply the rapidly growing number of elderly people over the first half of the coming century, which'll mean the working-age population end up with a lot of dependents.  But then, Europe is also expected to have the exact same problem:

[Agent 333]

The idea that I had that prevents China from being a superpower is mainly internal strife and a depleted population caused by the gender imbalance. I imagine Hong Kong will either become a separate city-state, or join with Taiwan...

Ah, the demographic doom theory.  What'll really prove a stumbling block to China demographically, in my opinion, is simply the rapidly growing number of elderly people over the first half of the coming century, which'll mean the working-age population end up with a lot of dependents.  But then, Europe is also expected to have the exact same problem.

Yeah, I did a report on the subject back in college. Didn't see the nifty graph though. I imagine my Europe of the future has a lot of immigration from young people looking for jobs, especially from America and the Middle East. Also if you extend the graphs out another 50 years, you can imagine Europe's population stabilizing (it looks like a critical point around 2045), but China's could keep plummeting.

[MilitiaJim]

... but China's could keep plummeting.

Only if these Mandarins keep the one child policy.  I doubt that policy will survive the downfall of the current set, and a genuine increase in rural wealth will make the policy superfluous.  (If they can manage to get corruption down far enough to allow wealth building, which is unlikely before the fall of this Chinese government.)

Europe is going to stagnate until the Prussian plan of government pensions dies.  It might possibly survive in Germany, but I suspect Greece is going to come apart.  They may again become a collection of City-States.


Ya know, what exactly do you mean by "counter-terror set in Europe?"  Red Hand of the 70s, or Al-Quida of the 00s?  What about anarchists?  Could some countries not be members of the "United States of Europe"?

[Agent 333]

Ya know, what exactly do you mean by "counter-terror set in Europe?"  Red Hand of the 70s, or Al-Quida of the 00s?  What about anarchists?  Could some countries not be members of the "United States of Europe"?

It could be lots of things, from eco-terrorists, religious terrorists, seperationists, anarchists, neo-luddites, etc. I've kept it vague enough to give me a variety of antagonist options.