Futureworld brings you Mindbullets: News from the Future, to spark thinking about leadership, innovation and digital disruption. These fictitious scenarios aim to challenge conventional mindsets and promote understanding of the future context for business.
Dateline: January 7 2024
In a historic move, the EU has announced that all citizens will be required to subscribe to the My Carbon app by 2025.
The app, developed by a consortium of tech companies and environmental organisations, tracks an individual’s carbon footprint in real-time and provides personalised suggestions for reducing emissions.
The decision has sparked both praise and criticism, with climate activists hailing it as a necessary step in the fight against global warming, while privacy advocates decry the invasive nature of the technology. Critics argue that the app’s monitoring capabilities, which include tracking an individual’s energy use, transportation habits and consumer choices, infringe personal privacy and could be abused by the government or corporations.
Despite this concern, the EU has defended the mandate, citing the urgent need to address the climate crisis and the app’s potential to significantly reduce emissions. The EU Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, stated in a press conference: “The My Carbon app is a crucial tool in the fight against climate change. It empowers individuals to make informed choices and take action to reduce their carbon footprint. The expense and potential risks to privacy are outweighed by the benefits to the planet and future generations.”
However, some experts have raised questions about the efficacy of the app and the cost of implementing — and enforcing — the mandate. A study by the European Environmental Agency found that while the app can help individuals reduce their emissions, the real impact on the climate would come from aggregating per-capita data and targeting large-scale emissions from industries and transportation.
Furthermore, the expense of monitoring and policing individual carbon footprints, as well as the potential for the app to be hacked or used for nefarious purposes, could outweigh any potential benefits. In a report for the New York Times, professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Amsterdam, Dr Janice van der Zee, stated: “The My Carbon app may be well-intentioned, but it’s a misguided solution. The cost and risks of monitoring and enforcing individual carbon footprints are not worth the potential benefits. We need to focus on collective action and systemic changes, not individual behaviour.”
And we all know the owners of private jets will simply disregard the mandate. The penalties for not using the app are insignificant, compared to the fines they would get for their personal carbon excesses.
- First published on Mindbullets January 5 2023
Take a deep breath, you’ll soon be paying for air
European agency for air quality seeks to introduce oxygen tax
Dateline: April 28 2023
The EU Climate Control Agency, known colloquially as the “carbon police”, has introduced proposals to tax the very air we breathe. Two decades of lower-than-expected global warming has been a brief respite, but carbon concentrations have continued to rise alarmingly.
“It’s clear that carbon taxes and emissions trading have not worked,” says executive director Jacqueline McGlade. “The time has come for real action, touching every human in Europe, so that every breath we take is meaningful.”
It was 10 years ago that carbon dioxide breached the important psychological barrier of 400 ppm (parts per million). Some saw this as a tipping point, predicting catastrophic climate change in the future. Despite controls on transport and industrial emissions, which have declined, the level of carbon in the air has continued to climb.
“So we will propose a quarterly tax on all citizens over the age of 18. Every time we breathe out, we produce more carbon,” continues McGlade, “and everyone must be aware of their contribution”. An aide was heard to remark that “if they are old enough to smoke and drive, they should pay the tax. Our Eurobarometer survey released today shows support for this decision.”
This proposal has been denounced as “sheer lunacy” by the scientist and economic development proponent Matt Ridley. “Carbon dioxide makes the planet greener,” he exclaims, “and economic growth makes the air cleaner”.
When will the great climate debate come to an end? Don’t hold your breath.
- First published on Mindbullets May 30 2013
• Despite appearances to the contrary, Futureworld cannot and does not predict the future. The Mindbullets scenarios are fictitious and designed purely to explore possible futures, and challenge and stimulate strategic saying.
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