2010 State of the Future

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The “2010 State of the Future” is composed of two parts: an 83-page print summary of the 2009–2010 research and an enclosed CD containing about 7,000 pages of complete details of The Millennium Project’s research behind the print section, as well as studies and analysis of the previous 14 years. The “State of the Future” is an internationally acclaimed annual overview of the global situation, prospects, and strategies, produced by a unique global think tank with 35 Nodes around the world. Can civilization implement solutions fast enough to keep ahead of the looming challenges? The world is in a race between implementing ever-increasing ways to improve the human condition and the seemingly ever-increasing complexity and scale of global problems. This “2010 State of the Future” is a world report card on the future showing where we are winning and losing. It is an extraordinarily rich distillation of information for those who care about the world and its future. Readers will learn how their interests fit into the global situation and how the global situation may affect them and their interests; and can draw information and ideas to be adapted to their unique needs. It provides a global strategic landscape that public and private policymakers may use to improve their own strategic decisionmaking and global understanding. Business executives can use the research as input to their planning. University professors, futurists, and other consultants may find this information useful in teaching and research. This 2010 edition contains chapters on collective intelligence applications, prospects for Latin America by 2030; international assessment of 15 global challenges; State of the Future Index; emerging environmental security issues, samples of futures research around the world, and an executive overview of the global situation and prospects for humanity. The CD section, which contains about 7,000 pages, is designed to serve as a reference document. It includes details and research that support the print version and includes the complete text of previous Millennium Project research: detailed description of each of the 15 Global Challenges; evolution and Computation of the State of the Future Index; global exploratory, normative, and very-long range scenarios, along with an introduction describing their development; concept and concrete applications of Collective Intelligence systems; Science and Technology, and Global Energy Scenarios and supporting studies; assessment of governance-related issues and future strategy units in selected governments; environmental security definitions, threats, related treaties; UN military doctrine on environmental issues; potential military environmental crimes and the International Criminal Court; changing environmental security military requirements in 2010–25; two studies to create indexes and maps of the status of sustainable development; an international review of the concept of creating a “Partnership for Sustainable Development;” study of factors required for successful implementation of futures research in decisionmaking; an Annotated Scenarios Bibliography of over 800 scenario sets totaling over 2,100 scenarios. For example, the print Chapter 1 on the 15 Global Challenges allocates two pages to each Challenge, while the CD devotes more than 1,300 pages to them. On the CD, each Challenge has a comprehensive overview, more detailed regional views, suggested indicators to assess progress or lack thereof on addressing the challenge, and a set of actions and views about those actions. The Millennium Project is designed to provide an independent global capacity that is interdisciplinary, transinstitutional, and multicultural for early alert and analysis of long-range issues, opportunities, challenges, and strategies.