A Future of Abundance
If you feel pessimistic about the state of the world, you can turn to author Peter Diamandis for intense optimism. As expressed in his book Abundance, he believes that our modern technological revolution can help meet all basic human needs around the world. A Future of Abundance is a new documentary that explores Diamandis’ unique and hopeful perspective.
When we look around and see a world in perpetual crisis, it’s hard to see the forest through the trees. Whether we’re witnessing the scourge of hunger, pollution, economic upheaval, environmental degradation, depleted energy sources or a malfunctioning medical system, the problems plaguing our global society can seem apocalyptic and insurmountable.
Diamandis Let’s take a closer look. In his view, we already have the tools to achieve an almost utopian life. The price of solar energy is dropping rapidly and could one day power the world at very low cost. In the Sahara, sunlight and salt water are converted to meet the region’s needs for electricity, fresh food and clean water. The same elements could be used for similar projects in any of the world’s driest climates, including Australia and South Africa.
What if your healthcare needs could be met with a simple device you could use at home? New technology makes it possible to track and diagnose health problems without a trip to a doctor’s office. The enormous reach created by the internet and crowds can empower the next generation of inventors, enabling them to bypass the bureaucracy of business development and distribution and bring more life-changing innovations to the masses more easily than ever before. By 2020, 5 billion users will be connected via the Internet, and the brightest among them will be able to share and build on tomorrow’s most promising innovations. This free flow of ideas can inspire more efficient and cost-effective solutions to a variety of pressing problems.
The realm of documentaries is often somber and catastrophic, but A Future of Abundance celebrates a world of limitless possibility.
Directed by: Martijn Kieft
