World Changing

Alex Steffen argues that reducing humanity’s ecological footprint is incredibly vital now, as the western consumer lifestyle spreads to developing countries. He explains that our current planet is be used extremely unsustainably and it is disturbing in terms of our future generations, as they too want a life that is more prosperous for them. Future societies need to be environmentally sustainable and sharable with everybody on the planet and promotes stability, democracy and human rights for all. These societies also need to be achievable in a timeframe that is necessary to face future challenges. The video below explains this and shows examples of specific tools, models and ideas that will help achieve future idealistic sustainable societies.

the unthinkable or the unimaginable?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ckLCGcT14

Another key issue that needs to be addressed in terms of sustaining our future within individual societies' is the issue of urbanisation. It is the growth of urban areas caused by rural migration and population shifts. Resulting in changes in social orders, from communal 'village' culture with a sense of stability, to a wide spread urban culture where individuals can get lost and forgotten about in the madness.

From Federation until 1976, the percentage of Australians living in capital cities increased steadily from 36% to 65%, and then from 1977 to 2008 the percentage of residents living in capital cities has stayed relatively stable at 64%.
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1370.0~2010~Chapter~Population%20distribution%20(3.3)

However the percentage is forecasted to dramatically change in coming years... 

Urbanisation is forecasted to intensify greatly by the year 2050