Page 7 - The Celestia Project

Which Future? the path that technocrats have mapped out for our future.
Rifkin suggests that as more people lose their traditional jobs to
The next century, depending
computerization, they will nd themselves free to devote time to
on whom you ask, looks vastly the third sector, in uencing local politics, community directions,
and “o ering a much needed antidote to the materialism that has
di erent. To illustrate, consider so dominated twentieth century industrial thinking.” 15

the following two views: New Directions

Technotopia. In the world Our view is that each of these predictions is only partly right.
New trends and technological advances are changing ALL of the
of Ray Kurzweil (The Age of rules. These include the sharing economy, the foodie movement,
permaculture, inward migration to cities, green urbanism, a huge
Spiritual Machines), everything drop in the cost of solar technology, the return of co-op business
models and more. All of these trends form a countercultural, and
comes down to how fast we in many cases, more sustainable response to the wasteful economic
models of yesteryear. Why own a car when you can share one?
can crunch the numbers. He Why eat oranges from South America when your neighbor grows
a better-tasting variety? Why live in outer ring suburbs when
sees a future of human beings everything you need or want is within walking distance in the city?

merging with computer The Intuit 2020 Report predicts that in just a few years, “Work-
life balance will no longer be a myth, but a reality as people
technology as inevitable. In invest in the places they live to make them better, forging new
communities. This weave of community fabric will see people
Kurzweil’s world, in 100 years, re-establishing stronger ties with family, friends and community
spawning local economic development in new, dynamic ways.”
Low-Tech/High-Tech Synergy. we’ll not only be virtually
Other trends point to a more Looking Ahead
human-centric future, where immortal, we’ll hardly need
technology and automation housing, transportation or food As citizens of one of the most a uent countries on Earth, we’re
are tools used in pursuit of a as we know it—so complete among the fortunate few who get to choose from a whole palette of
better quality of life—not will be our transformation. opportunities. As you journey with us into the future through The
Celestia Project, we look forward to hearing your ideas about how
replacements for the things By 2099, he predicts, “The things might go—how we might pass down to future generations
that make us human. number of software-based a place of stability and wonder. We begin this month with that
most fundamental of human needs: food security.
humans vastly exceeds those still using native neuron cell-based
We’ll have a lot more content available at our onlineheadquarters:
computation. […] Humans who do not utilize such implants videos, slide shows, articles and handouts. To visit go to:

are unable to meaningfully participate in dialogues with those www.greenbuildermedia.com/celestiaproject

who do.”

How many of Earth’s billions will actually participate in this www.greenbuildermedia.com 04.2014

radical shift in the human condition, should it come to pass? That’s

not addressed, but if you consider that only 34 percent of the world

has Internet access today (internetworldstats.com), you can bet the

digital divide of the future will be deep and wide.

Third Sector Uprising. Jeremy Rifkin, author of The End of

Work, suggests that an underestimated force in American culture

could lead us toward a more humanistic future. This “third sector”

consists of organizations that operate outside of the corporate or

government power. These include schools and colleges, hospitals,

social services organizations, museums, libraries, art galleries,

orchestras, theaters, animal welfare organizations, neighborhood

groups and so on. They carry enormous clout, and may not accept

Further Utopian Reading We’ve included handylinks in caseyou’d like to order
any of these books direct from our Amazon shop.

Utopia Forever: Visions of Architecture and Urbanism BY LUKAS FEIREISS

A compelling look at how architects and urban designers are challenging conventional norms to
create idealized places to live, work and grow our food. http://tinyurl.com/qj98ss6

Ecotopia Emerging BY ERNEST CALLENBACH

This well-known utopian novel chronicles the rise of an ecologically based alternative lifestyle
in the Pacific Northwest. http://tinyurl.com/ppkgjzy

Looking Backward: 2000-1887 BY EDWARD BELLAMY

In this classic utopian book, a traveler from 1887 is shown the wonders of a future Boston.
Entertaining, informative and, at times, very funny. http://tinyurl.com/q63mqfq

The End of Work BY JEREMY RIFKIN

Rifkin has long been a few years ahead of his time. This book, published in 1995, points out
how the computerization of industry has failed to deliver the leisurely lifestyle its advocates promised.
http://tinyurl.com/qyrxxx6