What will the UK look like in 10-20 years time?

bo_drinker

The future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rOp27hdghY

ninky_2

StevieJ wrote: »

Agreed, but this govt when trying to solve a problem/create legislation almost always overcook it and create problems elsewhere.

well let's talk about the elephant in the room. (because it's an internet forum and not radio 4...

the media are now terrified to run any sort of story or programme criticizing islam. (this is different to criticizing individual muslims which they seem more than happy to do). but we basically now live in a so-called free society in which no one feels able to publically criticize anything in the ideology of islam, its foundations or its prophet.

this makes a mockery of our free speech.

i see the main problem as starting when the west reacted to the fatwah against salman rushdie - !!!!! footing around the issue and not cracking down on those who supported it.

this sent out a clear message. the freedom of speech to threaten the life of an individual / individuals is more important that the freedom of speech to criticize an ideology. absolutely wrong.

A_fiend_for_life

Might be on child per couple and an extortionate tax that doubles for each additional child you have - at least that was Arthur C Clarke's idea.

If peak oil is anything to go by we'll be spending a higher proportion of income on food, less on holidays and consumer goods. Arctic ice cap will be gone - Arctic War? Sea levels will have risen by about 10cm possibly 15cm - it's about 3.3mm per year at the moment and rising.

Bailouts of nuclear power projects with an expensive cost of decomissioning?

There will be a new psychatric condition called forum psychosis.

Lifeisbutadream

A_fiend_for_life wrote: »

Might be on child per couple and an extortionate tax that doubles for each additional child you have - at least that was Arthur C Clarke's idea.

Great idea, but those on benefits would, of course, be except from paying the said extortinate tax, so it would defeat the object

kabayiri

What is interesting is the change in our collective vision of the future.

If we went back to the 60s, and looked at their predictions for 20/30/40 years ahead it involved technology creating a better world :-
- robotic automation would make most of our goods
- we would worry about how to spend all our free time
- north sea gas would be free
- colonisation of other regions would answer some of the crowding issues.

Now we've had a chance to see some of these aspirations play out :-
- cheap eastern labourers slave away instead of the robots
- no one has copious free time anymore
- gas and energy supplies worry us a lot
- spreading our reaches into space looks like a long drawn out process.

Are we likely to set less aspirational goals as a consequence? Do we even believe in a collective vision?

Wookster

The world has changed an enormous amount even in the last year, who would have ever thought that people would be trying to convince you that capitalism (free markets) is a good idea?

I have no clue what the future might bring but I suspect that climate change and energy supply will be much more at the forefront of our existence and daily life.

A_fiend_for_life

Might be tackled at the other end of the spectrum. Euthanasia as a universal Human Right. Sounds like a police state's dream.:eek:

John_Pierpoint

lostinrates wrote: »

ad and ninky have made me wonder.

I'm looking at a property I have almost dismissed because of road noise and pollution from the road. Dh likes it regardless of the major road network it sits next to. But in the future, as the car industry changes, might it not be that cars are considerably less noisy..like the electric vehicles that creep up on one, and continue to be less pollutant? Maybe a purchase for the long term by a main road isn't as dream shattering in the long term?

Most of the noise comes from the tyres at speeds over 50 MPH. The trend towards performance vehicles has made the tyres wider and more noisy at the same time as engines and body shapes have got more efficient and quieter. Technology exists to make the road surface like "Aero" chocolate or even coat it with old tyre material.
Better tyres, better shielding of the tyres and the road surface can also cut noise.
Cutting maximum speeds, as well as saving (say) 15% of fuel costs also cuts noise and polluting gases.
BUT these are a mixture of financial costs and political acceptability.
Frontagers to major roads do not as a group have the clout of the road lobbies.

Perhaps a low cost computer controlled neutralisation of vehicle noise could be a possibility?

Conrad

In 20 years, more Muslims to have moderated and got back in touch with the Prophet M for the original femminist he was ("if you are poor and have many children, educate the girl before the boy").

Electric cars.

Decreased reliance on fossil fuels.

Growing empathy with nature and one another.

Increased prosperity despite G Browns tax bill.

People living to 140.

More health and safety sh1te.

ad9898_3

StevieJ wrote: »

EUREKA

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article5949992.ece

Unfortunately Steve, biofuel, in its current form is not the answer, to keep us at current levels, the land mass required would be something like 90% of all the agricultural land on the planet. So although you would have a nice CO2 neutral car full of biofuel, you would be dead from starvation.:D.............. Next.;)