Many problems and trends can no longer be solved on a national basis, particularly the first ones on the following list. From a planetary viewpoint they are all connected.
The manmade changes of the climate affect us all. The southern globe is probably more affected. The rise of the sea-level threatens many mega-cities. Most of them are located near the ocean. Some isles of the south-sea will be flooded and disappear.
The sea is more and more polluted by waste, especially with plastic, needing thousands of years for biological degradation. Furthermore many lakes on the southern hemisphere are drying out. The freshwater resources need to be supported by desalination – which requires cheap energy. Large rivers passing through several countries need shared responsibility. Fishing agreements are less respected.
National tax-systems are no longer able to tax international companies. But those companies profit from national education and infrastructure.
Data security & privacy
Humans distrust the big companies collecting personal data and are afraid of them being used by governments, endangering the democracy.
Life today requires national and transnational regulations. The same applies to radio & phone frequencies, to traffic and its infrastructure, up to regulating the use of drones in the airspace.
Technology, explosion of knowledge
In this world of division of labor people specialize – and have a hard time coping with the speed of development. Moreover these experts have to learn, to think and to work interdisciplinary. Additionally there is a need for continuing education, lifelong.
Tele-communication-technology changed our world immensely and will even reach our cars in the very near future. The wide use of smartphones has lead to big changes, which reach into our homes and work.
Merging of all people and nations
Social and classic media bring the world into every house via TV, computer and smartphone. On one hand the fear of strangers is slowing down the merging of people nations. On the other hand worldwide tourism helps. See below ‚change of values‘.
Exchange of goods and services
It is called globalization – which leads toward the convergence and ends the process of divergence which started 200 years ago. But in the wealthy countries globalization produces invisible losers. In the long run this development can only be stopped by – continuing education.
Health care and life expectancy
Progress in health care shows visible trends, like rising life expectancy and its demographic impact. Costs are rising.
Change of values
A special subject, which is part of the human factor, is our permanent change in values of human life together. There are international studies finding 6 dimensions of values and national culture by Geert Hofstede: Power distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty, Long term, Indulgence.
But we see too the long term cycles of Kondratiev. We come there to the 6th which shall include health and human cooperation. This trend is part of cause no. 1 of world challenges – the human factor.
Completion: the positive trends on the planet
- The poor countries catch up in material wealth. Absolut poverty continues to disappear (Millennium Development Goals of UN), mostly by investment of Western Industry in poor countries to save costs – not by aid.
- The more the gross national products increase the more the people develop conscience of ecology and the expenses for this.
- With increasing national product the population growth stops (mean number of children).
- With more education of the women and more rights the number of children reduce.
- Mortalities by violence decline since several thousands of years in comparison of population – even taking in account World Wars 1 and 2. The reasons lay in all the above mention trends, being part of our process of civilization and globalization. A study of Steve Pinker.
- Energy production is more and more decentralized and mostly solar – and more and more cheaper.