Smith describes four global forces that are impacting the world today. One radio network the world in 2050 weather and economic. Ian punnett welcomed ucla geography professor laurence smith, who discussed how trends in population, global trade, resources, and the climate will profoundly shape the world by 2050. The world in 2050 combines the lessons of geography and history with stateoftheart model projections and analytical dataeverything from climate dynamics and resource stocks to age distributions and economic growth projections. Northern countries will thrive, grow ucla newsroom map of norcs the eight nations depicted in this map consistute the new north, a region that will become increasingly prominent. A vivid forecast of our planet in the year 2050 by a rising star in geoscience, distilling cuttingedge research into four global forces. Four forces shaping civilizations northern future, ucla professor laurence c. Apr 14, 2015 laurence smith projects future trends in order to describe what the world might be like in 2050. Laurence smith, a professor with the department of geography at ucla, has a new book out called the world in 2050. Effective july 2019 he became the john atwater and diana nelson university professor of environmental studies and professor of earth. About the world in 2050 a vivid forecast of our planet in the year 2050 by a rising star in geoscience, distilling cuttingedge research into four global forces. Professor smith will lecture on his new book the world in 2050 published by dutton, new york.
Smith article in journal of regional science 514 october 2011 with 115 reads how we measure reads. Geoscientist and guggenheim fellow laurence smith draws on the latest global modeling research to construct a sweeping thought experiment on what our world will be like in 2050. Nov 24, 2010 everyone wants to predict the future, but laurence smith actually does so in his new book, the world in 2050. Acompelling portrait of the future and vividly relates the big challenges facing the world now. Smith approaches this problem by applying lots of different predictive models, as well as data from a range of scientific fields. Smith takes us to the places we would least expect to find the answer. The new north looks ahead to a world where northern countries are reshaped by climate change and trends in population, globalisation and the demand for natural resources. These four forces will have a dramatic impact on our. Smith, one of the world s leading climate scientists and author of the recently released rivers of power, knows that to anticipate the future we must look to the pastand the sweeping natural history of rivers and humanity offers plenty of insight on society, economics, politics, and power. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the world in 2050. It does not prescribe but allows the reader to contemplate the world in 2050 as a malleable object. Godfray hcj, beddington jr, crute ir, haddad l, lawrence d, muir jf, pretty j, robinson s. The world in 2050 seattle public library overdrive.
Four forces shaping civilizations northern future, ucla geologist dr. Energy stocks for the short term the world in 2050 by laurence c. Four forces shaping our civilizations northern future dutton, 2010. World in 2050 is a lively hybrid of academic reportage. Smiths the world in 2050 is quite a calm book, considering the world changes it envisions. This is the question with which laurence smith ends his new book, the new north. Shifting climate, as smith informs us, is something we have had an impact on, yet in some ways, is beyond our control. Four forces shaping civilizations northern future what makes coming home so jarring, compared to other returns from other exotic places. A professor of geography and earth and spaces sciences at ucla, smith attempts to assay what is most likely to happen on a global scale over the next 40 years. A compelling portrait of the future and vividly relates the big challenges facing the world now. Professor laurence smith talks about the weather, economic shifts and choosing the best place to live.
Smith is the john atwater and diana nelson university professor of environmental studies and professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences at brown university. Smith earned his phd at cornell university, and is now professor and vicechairman of geography and earth space sciences at the university of. Some of his predictions are disturbing, but none is apocalyptic. This is the issue that lawrence smith discusses in his book, the new north. Smith was a professor in the ucla department of geography from 19962019 and served as department chair from 202017. I arrived at this conclusion from multiple lines of argumentdemographic e. Four forces shaping civilizations northern future plume. Smith draws on the latest global modeling research to construct a sweeping thought experiment on what our world will be like in 2050. Four forces shaping civilizations northern future dutton, a book that has received much praise and critical. He explained that the premise behind his work was a broad, sweeping thought experiment of what the world might be like in 40 years, should things continue as they are now. There was never any possibility that iraq would become a secular democracy.
Each topic, and its role in the smith s predictions for the next 50 years, is well explained, and made crystal clear. In a sweeping panoramic new book titled the world in 2050. Four forces shaping civilizations northern future kindle edition by smith, laurence c download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Oct 25, 2011 the world in 2050 by laurence c smith, 9780452297470, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Jared diamond, new york times bestselling author of collapse and guns, germs, and steel the world s population is exploding, wild species are. His basic ground rule is no genies, good or bad no miracle technologies yielding unlimited free energy, and no big, drastic shocks like world war iii. Smith author of the world in 2050 what will the world be like in 2050. His second book rivers of power, about how civilization depends on rivers, was released in 2020. Aquarium of the pacific aquarium video laurence smith. It is easier to know what cannot be than to foretell what will be.
He is a frequent keynote speaker and has been invited to speak at the world economic forum in davos three times. The world in 2050 by laurence c smith, 9780452297470, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Laurence smith s the world in 2050 has a bit of the same feeling. Review by clive tesar this is an interesting book about the circumpolar world mostly because it is not solely a book about the circumpolar world. He also held a joint appointment in the department of earth, planetary, and space sciences. Hes wellpoised to make climate predictions, since he combines academic training with firsthand observations in the far north. Smith predicts that, as worldwide population increases by 40 percent over the next 40 years, sparsely populated canada, scandinavia, russia and the northern. Four forces shaping civilizations northern future dr. Smith making predictions is always a perilous enterprise. Sep 23, 2010 geoscientist and guggenheim fellow laurence smith draws on the latest global modeling research to construct a sweeping thought experiment on what our world will be like in 2050. He visited remote arctic villages, lived on a canadian icebreaker, interviewed lumberjacks, diamond miners, seamen, and.
Its human shock, seeing so many people again after dwelling in a place so empty of them. Nonetheless, authors and publishers continue to feed our fascination with the future. The world in 2050 four forces shaping civilizations northern future laurence c. He has extensive experience in arctic environments and holds a courtesy appointment in uclas department of earth and space sciences. Four forces shaping civilizations northern future kindle edition by laurence c.
Each topic, and its role in the smith s predictions for the next 50 years, is well. Download it once and read it on your kindle device. Its mostly about today, with only occasional discussion of how the world may be midway through the century. Previously, he was professor of geography at ucla where he served as department chair from 202017. Ucla geography, earth and space science professor laurence smith examines population demographics, resource demand, globalization and climate change to predict what the world s northern countries will look like in future decades. Oct 16, 2010 ian punnett welcomed ucla geography professor laurence smith, who discussed how trends in population, global trade, resources, and the climate will profoundly shape the world by 2050. Smith ke 2010 effect of elevated co 2 and agricultural management on flux. The world in 2050 by laurence smith is an excellent, wellwritten analysis of the four megatrends that have shaped the past few centuries and will continue to shape the future.
Smith shows how, by 2050, canada, scandinavia, russia and the northern united states may be flourishing as formidable. Smith spent 15 months traveling the northern rim and other parts of the world to find out what our future will look like. With the rules established, laurence smith tracks 4 major global forces, arguably the largest and strongest forces, to their logical conclusions at the target date of 2050. His book, the world in 2050, discusses what our world might look like in forty years if current trends in population, resource demand, economics, and. Sep 01, 2010 with the rules established, laurence smith tracks 4 major global forces, arguably the largest and strongest forces, to their logical conclusions at the target date of 2050. Four forces shaping civilizations northern future by laurence c. Kistler book award and was a nature editors pick of 2012. His ambitious, candid and accessible book predicts what the world will be like in 2050. His research interest include topics of northern hydrology, climate change, carbon cycles and satellite remote sensing. Smith overview a compelling portrait of the future and vividly relates the big challenges facing the world now. His first book, the world in 2050 won the walter p.
What countries of the north will look like 40 years hence. Laurence smith projects future trends in order to describe what the world might be like in 2050. Four forces shaping civilizations northern future, by laurence c. Prof smith has published more than sixty research papers including in the journals science and nature. The world in 2050 four forces shaping civilizations northern future by laurence c. Four forces shaping civilizations northern future plume, 2010, argues that humanitys future prosperity lies in the arctic rim. The world s population is exploding, wild species are vanishing, our environment. As might be expected, smith s 2050 is a bit more populated than today. Smith traveled on icebreakers in the arctic ocean and visited indigenous communities in finland. But smith offers more than a compendium of statistics and studies he spent fifteen months traveling the arctic rim. Laurence smiths the world in 2050 has a bit of the same feeling. Smith distills cutting edge scientific research into four global forces demographic trends, natural resource demand, climate change, and globalization to offer a vivid prediction of what the world we leave to our children and grandchildren will be like.