2035 — Dwelling in Tony Seba’s & Elon Musk’s World

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We’re woken at 7:00 am by Optimus bringing us our espresso within the 12 months 2035. He has already disconnected our outdated Tesla Mannequin 3 SR (sure, I do know, very retro) from the photo voltaic array and plugged within the pool pump. He has additionally fed the canine and given her the requisite variety of pats. Since I hit 80 (it’s 2035), it’s getting more durable and more durable to get away from bed within the morning. To not fear, Optimus shall be again after doing the washing and he’ll assist me into my exoskeleton. So, I’m glad I stored my Tesla shares, or we’d be doing all of this the old school means.

Most of our neighbours have photo voltaic panels and batteries. Those that don’t are consistently complaining in regards to the worth of energy. It looks like regardless of how low cost era turns into from photo voltaic and wind, the facility corporations maintain placing the costs up. In fact, the federal government helps them. “It’s a necessary service!” The divide between the power wealthy and power poor grows wider. Down within the poorer finish of city, they’re amassing discarded panels and constructing their very own power programs.

In contrast to a lot of our neighbours, we’ve got opted to maintain our personal automobile, as it’s far more costly to make use of the Tesla TaaS possibility. We make a little bit cash on weekends renting her out, and Optimus has change into adept at cleansing the vomit out once we get the occasional drunk with a technicoloured yawn on a Saturday evening. Tess could also be due for a battery alternative quickly; the battery degradation is now at 20%.

The artificial milk from our precision fermenter goes nicely within the espresso and with the Weetabix for breakfast. The sachets of designer yeast have arrived and we’re wanting ahead to attempting out the probiotic kefir and the “NuBeef” vary. Competitors within the sector has led to a reducing of costs for PF protein — however it is going to enhance as patents run out. Large Farmer is nearly as dangerous because the outdated BigPharma. That jogs my memory, I need to order extra sugar, these yeast micro organism are hungry little fellas.

In 2035, the smog is clearing and the temperatures appear to have stabilized. The federal government, after many political brawls with lobbyists and curiosity teams, has lastly managed to get its “Timber for farmers program” up and working. As an alternative of utilizing tens of millions of acres for cows, they’re now being paid to plant and have a tendency to timber. There may be hope that the koala can come again from close to extinction.

There may be much less and fewer on the information about catastrophic climate occasions. “Why do they name them a as soon as in a era occasion once they occur yearly?” Insurance coverage premiums are coming down — maybe we will afford to insure the home this 12 months?

Inside Brisbane is wanting good — the council mission to transform undercover automobile parks into lodging is continuing nicely. Quickly, the homeless shall be out sight and we will really feel much less responsible. In fact, many people received a shock when the worth of actual property went down as a result of availability of multi-story automobile parks for conversion. You simply don’t want a lot parking area within the metropolis when a automobile can return to its base autonomously.

Sure, Tony Seba was proper — the age of superabundance has arrived.

Watching Tony Seba’s latest convention presentation to the Saudis provoked the imaginative and prescient of a future as hypothesized above. Nevertheless, there may be an alternate view. Can capitalism save capitalism from ecological collapse (by catastrophic local weather change or techno Armageddon)? Will Starlink change into self-aware? Will superabundance be hijacked by the firms of the wealthy, preserving creating nations “of their place” on the backside of the financial pile? We’re impartial with energy already (in 2024), however will that be taken away from us? Is superabundance for everybody? What is going to the large corporations use tie individuals up and lock them out? Can we brew our beef and hen the way in which we brew our personal beer and kefir? Will governments take over our rooftop photo voltaic and tax our autonomous electrical automobiles off the highway? Will we nonetheless spend ludicrous quantities of cash on bottled water?

I requested my good pal and futurist Paul Wildman for his ideas on what life could also be like by 2035. I’m paraphrasing his reply beneath.

In my view, Tony Seba is an apologist for the neoliberal capitalists. Keep in mind, the capitalist system destroys greater than it creates, in contrast with the Confucian Socialism of China. Maybe Tony might be described as a excessive priest, promising heaven by tremendous abundance offered by the capitalist system.

Will techno Armageddon or ecological collapse come first? Will one reinforce the opposite? Or will it’s superabundance nirvana?

Within the Terminator film trilogy, the ecological collapse comes first and techno-armageddon “saved” the day. In warfare techno, Armageddon comes first after which ecological collapse (as all of the ecology has been blown up). We’re already in a state of world warming and international warring. Tipping factors are reached day by day as new wars escape faster than outdated wars finish. The rise of CO2 ranges, the modifications within the North Sea currents, and the ocean stage rises level to an ecological collapse.

So, I requested Paul: “Can capitalism save capitalism?” It seems that Elon Musk and Tony Seba suppose that it’s potential. He responded: “Capitalism can save us from capitalism for my part. However not from all varieties of capitalism. Social democrat capitalism (the place social relationships are prime), eco capitalism (the place inexperienced is go!), sure, however neoliberal capitalism (the place the market solely is prime), no, once more for my part.”

Neoliberal capitalism tends to commodify and monetize every part, together with superabundance. Is the one different choice to let the system burn itself down and begin once more? Paul says his cash is on the system burning itself down and having to be rebuilt.

For my very own sake, and that of my kids and grandchildren, I actually hope that the hypothetical 2035 I began with turns into my future. If Optimus can deal with an egg with care, then it will be capable of give me a sponge bathtub. Paul sees Tony and Elon concurrently as techno-optimists and techno-capitalist apologists. I hope that they’re proper and we don’t find yourself in a mix of local weather change induced ecological collapse dominated by Terminators, or inflation induced financial collapse dominated by the company NeoCons. … Now, the place is Optimus with my second espresso…??