Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Within the next decade?
Socialism may self-destruct within the next decade.
Or civilization may self-destruct within the next decade.
But I doubt extinction of the species is imminent.
If government meddling (regulations, subsidies and taxes) were eliminated, one might suspect that frugal, efficient processes and methods would flourish while wasteful, extravagant, or inefficient modes would diminish - and be obsolete.
What may be - - -
Housing:
__ Superinsulated, resilient, disaster resistant, autonomous housing : consuming few resources to maintain comfort, protect occupants and possessions, and enhance productivity
Transportation:
__ Renaissance of electric traction rail, the most efficient form of land transport (barring a technological breakthrough), in all its forms : heavy, high speed, subway, urban, interurban, streetcars, funiculars, cogwheel, etc.
Cities:
__ Parallel with the renaissance of rail is consolidation of population in cities, towns, and villages. Reduced distances and increased opportunities will enhance prosperity and quality of life.
What would be obsolete - - -
__ “Old” houses that are not disaster resistant, frugal, resilient nor superinsulated. They would be a perpetual drain on the finances of the owner.
__ With the end of all subsidies, the automobile / petroleum / pavement paradigm would be too expensive to support and maintain. The advent of inexpensive and convenient rail transport would diminish auto ownership by 85% or more. Decaying infrastructure would eventually be demolished or replaced with more suitable means. New vehicles will have to be designed to handle the decayed roadways and lack of infrastructure - 4 wheel drive off-road type vehicles with adjustable height suspensions may be popular. Perhaps amphibious features would be useful, too.
__ Suburbia and its sprawl, and all related aspects would be in decline, as would shopping malls, strip malls, drive-through retail, and so on. The decline of the automobile and increased expense for the suburban lifestyle would shift demographics and lead to the demolition of suburbia, in favor of either villages with consolidated population -or- reclaim the land for agriculture.
Radio - who wants to listen to crap when better stuff is available over a cell phone?
CFL lamps - good riddance, even if a pen point of mercury is the motivator to kill them.
The stupid grey display screens that can have invisible displays if the light doesn't hit them just right.
Newspapers are a dying industry. Also, the long term survival of magazines may be dubious.
If any print media survives, I think it will be books.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.