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Mankind has been around since about one million years, but I doubt that we will survive just another thousand more years, given the current world problems, most of them self-inflicted. But there is hope – almost all of these problems are solvable by applying new big and bold ideas and concepts and by implementing certain measures, some of them unusual and not part of normal thinking.
I believe the main world problems are as follows:
1. Global warming (climate change)
2. Poverty and hunger
3. Overpopulation
4. Energy problems (e.g. crude oil scarcity)
5. Lack of clean water and drinking water
6. Environmental pollution
7. Natural disasters
8. Health problems and infectious diseases
9. War and terrorism
10. Drugs and crime
11. Asteroid threat to our planet
The above listed world problems we are burdened with are my main concern, but I trust that human ingenuity will be able to solve these problems over time. I will tackle the listed problems and deal with them bit by bit, refine my ideas and concepts, where necessary, and add to them and to possible solutions of world problems in the future.
I know that suitable organisations already exist with specific tasks to help people in need, and they are usually very experienced in such fields but may look for more fresh ideas.
If you are such a group or organisation and are trying to solve one or some of the above listed world problems, I would be happy to assist you with adapting my ideas to the projects, developing them further, adding new ideas and concepts and preparing detailed plans for you in order to achieve the best possible result with available resources. In that case, please contact me by e-mail at wltr66@hotmail.com
On the following pages I will suggest new ideas and concepts (by applying lateral thinking) to solve or at least to reduce current world problems.
For giving you an idea what I am talking about I will list a brief preview on the first five world problems below (described more in detail on the next web pages), mainly relevant for developing countries:
1. Global warming or climate change:
1.1 Levy a carbon tax, the funds to be collected in an environment fund for funding environment friendly energy sources.
1.2 Design new buildings as at least energy neutral and convert existing buildings likewise where practicable.
1.3 Pay locals for planting new trees in deforested areas and/or on marginal land.
1.4 Select trees most suitable for these locations. Also modify trees genetically for growing big and fast.
1.5 Develop new technologies to solve the problem of global warming in the most effective manner and share all data globally.
1.6 Reflect sun radiation artificially as temporary measure.
2. Poverty and hunger
2.1 Establish banks as co-ops for communities with ‘seed money’ for the people.
2.2 Help families limit the number of their children.
2.3. Recruit suitable persons from the community and train them as teachers for the same
community.
2.4 Help poor families in developing countries getting out of their debt trap.
2.5 Keep people in the country with financial help and advice.
3. Overpopulation
3.1 Reduce poverty in communities and families. Set up a pension system.
3.2 Overcome certain ethnic, religious and/or traditional beliefs of communities regarding family size.
3.3 Distribute free contraceptives for people.
3.4 Increase free schooling in communities and include sex- and population education.
3.5 Give families incentives to limit the number of their children.
4. Energy problems (e.g. crude oil scarcity)
4.1 People should do their office work from home and correspond via the Internet etc., and not drive to work if not necessary.
4.2 Introduce the 4-day working week (with the same working hours) to save a trip per week.
4.3 Give people enough financial incentives to buy energy efficient cars.
4.4 Change the whole distribution system (infrastructure & logistic) to make it more energy efficient.
4.5 Save energy by reducing friction between moving parts and substances.
4.6 Look again at designs of thermal solar and wind power stations for possible improvements.
5. Lack of clean water / drinking water
5.1 Build different kind of desalination plants, perhaps floating ones with less energy requirements or run by renewable energy, e.g. from solar power.
5.2 Retain groundwater by planting many new trees in upstream areas, thereby balancing the waterflow, preventing unnecessary flooding of rivers and cooling the micro climate
5.3 Seeding clouds in upstream areas of rivers could have the effects of more rain here and cooling the temperature in these regions, even creating snowfall with further water supply later.
5.4 Recreating the original meander courses of rivers can balance the water flow, reduce flooding, clean the river water and can also keep the moisture in the ground in the vicinity of the river for a longer time.
5.5 Create more wetlands and preserve existing wetlands as water reservoir, as refuge for water plants and as a medium for cleaner water.
5.6 Poor communities with lack of drinking water should get simple but effective water filters.
6. Pollution
6.1 Current tax on power stations should be increased by a so-called pollution tax, depending on their damage to the environment and to the health of people, the pollution tax in addition to a possible carbon tax.
6.2 The same should apply for certain vehicles with larger pollution.
6.3 Make rubbish tips 'cleaner' and useful for energy source. Use recycle matter as raw material for certain kinds of products.
6.4 Use selected trees and shrubs along waterways and the coastline as filter for fertilizers from farms.
6.5 Keep a buffer zone between shores or coastlines and power stations, settlements and industry centres etc. to prevent polluting the water.
7 Nature Disasters
7.1 Prevent land slides by stabilizing slopes, done by locals, planting trees and shrubs again.
7.2 Establish rows of hedges and trees around fields for protection against wind, for better micro-climate, and for birds to nist as biological weapon against pests. 7.3 Re-establish the natural course of river flows and keep some wetlands open for reducing flood damages.
7.4 Plan for and prepare certain areas for regrowth of native trees, to be planted by locals, giving them employment.
7.5 Fight bush fires more effectively with help of satellites (for spotting them), firetrails.
8 Health Problems
8.1 Health education should already be started in school, topics depending on the student ages.
8.2 Junk food ads on television should be banned and incentives be given for selling and consuming healthy food, also for exercising, for giving up smoking and for not starting smoking.
8.3 Concentrate more on prevention of diseases (far cheaper for the whole society!) and establish health records including vaccinations etc. for everyone to keep for their lifetime.
8.4 Educate people about health effects of good and bad bacteria and viruses and ban giving poultry, pigs and cattle antibiotics where unnecessary.
9. War and Terror
9.1 More power and authority to the UN to enable it to carry out its tasks more effectively.
9.2 Prevent possible causes for unrest before they can start by recognizing and eliminating them where possible.
9.3 Take more efforts to prevent wars between countries. The UN must be consulted first and mediate and attacks be frustrated.
9.4 Many wars have religious causes. To prevent them religious leaders should tolerate other religions, meet regularly and settle their differences in a peaceful manner.
10. Drugs & Crime
10.1 Give farmers, who grow crops as raw material for drugs, incentives and rewards to grow different crops they can make a living from. Also offer amnesty and profits from activities, other than with drugs, to drug lords and drug traders.
10.2 Substances for making artificial drugs should be traced and recorded and producers of such drugs be enticed (e.g. with offering amnesty and keeping their possessions etc.) to change their activities.
10.3 Start education about the damage to health from drugs already in school and develop a vaccine against the feel-good effect of drug use.
10.4 Also start education about the damage of criminal activities to people and the whole society in school, provide enough jobs for young people and give prisoners after their time in jail more help to become law-abiding citizens.
11. Asteroid Threat
11.1 Use viewing points from Moon in conjunction with space telescopes and telescopes on Earth for early detection of Earth-treatening asteroids, make a register of all asteroids, large enough to cause significant damage on impact and constantly monitor them.
11.2 Develop means of deflecting dangerous asteroids in space at an early stage.
11.3 Build suitable space ships (in time) to bring the deflection mechanism safely to the approaching asteroid.
11.4 Try destroying smaller asteroids not only with explosives but also with powerful lasers from space or Moon for more accuracy.
12. Wild Ideas
12.1 For saving fuel and energy, unmanned rockets should be hurled into space by catapult or in tubes, propelled by air pressure.
12.2 For cooling Earth, bring highly reflective material (perhaps in powder form) into space between Sun and Earth, reflecting sun radiation, as much and as long as necessary.
12.3 The same concept could be applied in our atmosphere or by artificially increasing cloud cover in the daytime.
12.4 For further cooling the earth surface heat radiation into space can perhaps be increased by 'seeding' clouds and thereby decreasing cloud cover at night.
I am still developing my website further. Please keep visiting it for not to miss out on new bold ideas and concepts, and if you have any questions or think that you have something useful to contribute, please send me an e-mail at wltr66@hotmail.com
Hope to hear from you soon,
Bill
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