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CONTENT

Lead Article

Green energy: South Africa’s transition plan must be careful not to deepen inequality – the 3 top issues
by Mzukisi Qobo, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Article 01

Brienz/Brinzauls, Switzerland Rockfall

The Future Now Show

Deep Transitions Futures
with Wendy Schultz & Miss Metaverse

Article 02

KANTHARI, change from within
by Marijn Poels

News about the Future

> The Protected Planet Report
> The development of gene doping detection methods

Article 03

Biophilic Design

Recommended Book

Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes
by William Bridges

Article 04

‘A kind of meditative peace’: quiet hour shopping makes us wonder why our cities have to be so noisy
by Eduardo de la Fuente, University of South Australia and Michael James Walsh, University of Canberra

Climate Change Success Story

Plant migration

The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL
National Tree Seed Centre (NTSC), Canada

Assisted migration' helps trees move so forests survive climate change
Assisted Migration of Plants and Animals in a Changing Climate
Global Seed Vault becomes more important than ever as climate change threatens crops

Futurist Portrait

April Rinne
Change Navigator

Tags:
Albinism, Assisted Migration, Biodiversity, Biophilic Design,
Blind, Canada, Circumcision, Climate Change, Deep Transitions Futures,
East Africa, Flux, Futurist, Gene doping, Germany, India, Investor, Kerala,
Noise, Plant migration, Rockfall, SDGs, Shopping, Switzerland, Tibet,
Uganda, USA

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Quotes

Johan Schot: "Deep Transitions Futures has vast ambitions, taking a novel and bold approach to develop a new investment philosophy. We are striving for long-term transformation. Naturally, the process will come with uncertainties. And yet, exploring new horizons, developing radical and innovative ideas and embracing unusual collaborations and opportunities like this one, are the paths that need to be taken if we are to forge a better future."

April Rinne: "In a world of constant change, we need to radically reshape our relationship to uncertainty to sustain a healthy and productive outlook."

Lead Article:

Green energy: South Africa’s transition plan must be careful not to deepen inequality – the 3 top issues
by Mzukisi Qobo, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

 

 

 

Mzukisi Qobo

 

Mzukisi Qobo, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Since the UN Climate Change Agreement was signed by 196 nations in December 2015, many countries have announced policies to reduce their fossil fuel emissions.

Their commitments are set out in nationally determined actions they’ll be taking to achieve this.

But the transition must navigate political economy tensions, especially in developing countries.

Take South Africa, for example. It has deep-seated socioeconomic challenges, such as inequality and unemployment. Its unemployment rate (including people who have given up looking for jobs) is unacceptably high at 42.5%. The country is also among the most unequal in the world.
And inequality remains mostly delineated by “race”. The mainstream economy remains predominantly owned by the white minority almost 30 years after democracy.

South Africa is under pressure to move from fossil fuels to green energy, with a strong emphasis on renewable sources. It has developed a just energy transition framework and a just investment proposal that has so far yielded €600 million in concessional finance from France and Germany.

The country is yet to formulate a systematic transition plan, however. Such a plan would be underpinned by a social contract, supported by a broad range of stakeholders and affected groups.

Moving to green energy will affect those directly employed in the coal mining sector. This is a fifth of those employed in the mining sector. That means 108,000 out of 514,859 people.

The ripple effects of the transition will also be felt across the value chain – from mines to markets and into people’s homes.

Making the green energy transition a success requires that the government pay attention not just to environmental factors, but also to socioeconomic needs. It must pay special attention to the impact on workers and communities in mining areas, and the macroeconomic effects of dwindling foreign exchange earnings and taxes.

Ignoring socioeconomic issues risks a populist backlash that could slow a necessary transition to a green industrial economy.

Socioeconomic imperatives

The core mission of South Africa’s a shift towards green energy should be to achieve economic growth, rising employment, and greater equity and inclusion. It must do all this while minimising social risks.

A green energy transition that is not anchored in fairness and inclusivity could potentially multiply socioeconomic risks.

Any efforts to move away from fossil fuels must cover three key areas. These include retraining workers who face retrenchment, and developing supply chains that give opportunities to small, micro and medium enterprises.

3 key elements for a sound green transition plan

• Retrain workers in the coal industry who will be retrenched in the process, and offer them an alternative source of livelihood. The transition, as the World Bank proposes, requires a “whole-of-society” approach. This should entail engagements with everyone who is affected to ensure that no one is left behind.

• Promote inclusive supply chains to enable greater participation of small, micro and medium enterprises, especially in small equipment manufacturing activities, installation, civil works, retail and maintenance.

  The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development notes that small and medium enterprises can be important drivers of green and inclusive growth. They can be encouraged to adopt green strategies as part of their preconditions for participating in the supply chains of major firms.

• Enhance energy security by attracting investment into other cleaner sources of energy. For example, the European Union is considering reclassifying nuclear as part of green energy. Major countries such as France insist on “technology neutrality” to include nuclear and hydrogen in their energy mix, rather than to privilege solar and wind energy sources that do not have baseload. Lack of baseload compromises energy security.

  Renewable energy sources provide intermittent power, depending on the availability of sun or wind, whereas average demand requires consistent supply. Europe’s predicament in the wake of Russia’s war on Ukraine best illustrates this: as soon as Russia throttled Europe’s gas supply, governments rationed electricity to curb demand. Or they ramped up the demand for coal from countries such as Colombia, Australia and South Africa to ensure baseload.

A wide lens

As countries march towards a brave new world of green technologies, they must ensure that those left behind, and trapped at the bottom of the old industrial economy, are at the helm of the new economy. The transition to the ideal state must reflect a broad energy mix, rather than leaning on a narrow set of technologies that may not adequately offer energy security or produce just and equitable outcomes.

South Africa must balance environmental concerns, socioeconomic imperatives and energy security in its transition strategies.

For this to be possible, the answer, according to the World Economic Forum,

 

will very likely have to be a combination of institutional capacity building, well-chosen policies and a substantial contribution by the international community – technologically as well as financially.

Mzukisi Qobo, Head: Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

CONTENT

Article 01

Brienz/Brinzauls, Switzerland Rockfall

Brienz/Brinzauls, Switzerland

Brienz/Brinzauls is a municipality in the district of Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.

 

Why this "falling rocks" sign is more important than most
by Tom Scott

In Brienz/Brinzauls, a small village in the east of Switzerland, there's a village slipping into a valley and a road that's surprisingly dangerous.

The Rockfall Radar detects falling boulders in real time and automatically closes transport routes at risk. Since the road passes through the runout zone of the rockfall zone in Brienz, it takes between 30 and 60 seconds for a boulder to reach the road depending on boulder size and track. This warning time is sufficient to close the road in time. The Rockfall Radar functions independently of prevailing visibility conditions, day/night as well as in fog or snow. The Rockfall Radar is mounted to the wall of the former school in Brienz and permanently monitors the rockfall zone at a distance of approx. 1 km. Upon rockfall detection the radar automatically switches the traffic lights to red and notifies the responsible safety managers. Should a vehicle be within the closed area when the alarm is triggered, there is enough time to leave the road section at risk assuming normal travel speed.

CCTV footage from Geopraevent, used with permission: www.geopraevent.ch

Evacuation
This is how evacuation takes place

The municipality will sound the alarm in the endangered area. The population is then urged to leave the area via
the evacuation route. Pay attention to the loudspeaker announcements.

If you need assistance during the evacuation, make your way to the emergency meeting point at village fountain
Brienz/Brinzauls. There you will receive information on the evacuation procedure and can ask for help.

The fire brigade will take your personal details at the check point at the Belfort bridge, giving the rescue teams an
overview of who has left the village. This overview is in the interests of your own safety.

If necessary, at the assembly and information point at the school of Alvaneu-Dorf you will be allocated to an
accommodation which will be available quickly.

During and after evacuation, you will receive all necessary information from the municipality via text messaging service or notice board in the school of Alvaneu-Dorf. Any questions? Contact us on our hotline.

The authorities will ensure that family members remain together during evacuation or are reunited as quickly as possible.
(...)

Residents of Brienz/Brinzauls have been told to evacuate the village by Friday, May 12th 2023.

 

CONTENT

The Future Now Show

Deep Transitions Futures
with Wendy Schultz & Miss Metaverse

Deep Transitions Futures uses the findings of Deep Transitions History to explore a set of future scenarios that illustrate the transformations needed to combat the great challenges of our time. Both the public and private financial sectors have a critical role to play in transforming our systems of provision in a way that contributes to the fundamental changes needed to fight climate change, species depletion, unsustainable waste production, and rising inequalities.

Through setting up a Global Investors Panel, the project aims to bring together experts of the sustainability transitions/transformation research community and thought leaders from the private and public investment sector, particularly those who have involvement with investment in science and developing digital and other technologies.

Deep Transitions Futures is a collaboration between the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex Business School in the UK, and the Utrecht University Centre for Global Challenges (UGlobe) in the Netherlands.

 

 

 

 

Moderator

 

 

 

Credits


Wendy L. Schultz
Director, Infinite Futures
www.infinitefutures.com
Fellow, World Futures Studies Federation
wfsf.org
Co-Founder and Director, Jigsaw Foresight
jigsawforesight.com
Deep Transitions Futures
deeptransitions.net/future
The Network of Central Banks and Supervisors
for Greening the Financial System (NGFS)
NGFS Climate Scenarios

 

Moderator

Katie (Miss Metaverse™) King
Futurist and Content Creator
Thailand & Cary, North Carolina, USA
missmetaverse.io
futuristmm.com

Felix B Bopp
Producer of The Future Now Show
clubofamsterdam.com


The Future Now Show
clubofamsterdam.com/the-future-now-show

You can find The Future Now Show also at

LinkedIn: The Future Now Show Group
YouTube: The Future Now Show Channel

CONTENT

Article 02

KANTHARI, change from within
by Marijn Poels, 2015

 

Since 2009, kanthari has equipped 258 social change makers from 53 countries.
This has resulted in 150+ organisations that have been positively impacting the lives of 200,000+ people who are situated on the margins of society.

Solutions for issues/problems in different fields are being implemented: protection of the environment, water/waste management, peacebuilding, women empowerment, disability, alternative education/learning, and many more.

Through an immersive, hands-on, and intensive training program, participants acquire all the techniques, tools, methods, and skills they need to start up and run effective, relevant social and/or environmental projects/ initiatives/organisations.

Anyone who wants to apply to become a kanthari participant can apply at www.kanthari.org/admissions

Paul Kronenberg
co-founder of Kanthari

Marijn Poels
Documentary maker at MARIJN POELS FILMS, Berlin

 

CONTENT

News about the Future

> The Protected Planet Report
> The development of gene doping detection methods

The Protected Planet Report

The Protected Planet Report established in 2021 that Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 was partially achieved. This target had multiple components. One specified that 17% of the world’s land and inland waters should be within protected and conserved areas by 2020. The most tangible success of the target was that this component was achieved by the time the Protected Planet Report was published, accounting for known delays between protected areas being designated and appearing in the Protected Planet databases. Today, this achievement is fully reflected in the data, with the March 2023 release of the Protected Planet databases showing 17.08% terrestrial coverage.

 

 

The development of gene doping detection methods

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to launch a Request for Applications (RFA) on the development of gene doping detection methods.

Science is key to driving advances in anti-doping. Innovative research leads to the identification of new doping trends, new substances, new doping methods and new detection approaches. WADA funds scientific research projects to develop and optimize analytical tools for the detection of use of prohibited substances and doping methods within sport populations.

This RFA builds on previous funding for development of gene doping detection methods, which led to implementation in WADA-accredited laboratories of a sensitive analytical method using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

 

 

CONTENT

Article 03

Biophilic Design

 

Biophilic design is an approach to architecture that seeks to connect building occupants more closely to nature. Biophilic designed buildings incorporate things like natural lighting and ventilation, natural landscape features and other elements for creating a more productive and healthy built environment for people.

 

Biophilic Design - 7 Principles to Better Connect Your Home with Nature
by Simple Dwelling

CONTENT

Recommended Book

Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes
by William Bridges

 

 

The best-selling guide for coping with changes in life and work, named one of the 50 all-time best books in self-help and personal development

Whether you choose it or it is thrust upon you, change brings both opportunities and turmoil. Since Transitions was first published, this supportive guide has helped hundreds of thousands of readers cope with these issues by providing an elegantly simple yet profoundly insightful roadmap of the transition process. With the understanding born of both personal and professional experience, William Bridges takes readers step by step through the three stages of any transition: The Ending, The Neutral Zone, and, eventually, The New Beginning. Bridges explains how each stage can be understood and embraced, leading to meaningful and productive movement into a hopeful future. With a new introduction highlighting how the advice in the book continues to apply and is perhaps even more relevant today, and a new chapter devoted to change in the workplace, Transitions will remain the essential guide for coping with the one constant in life: change.

William Bridges
is an internationally known speaker, author, and consultant who advises individuals and organizations in how to deal productively with change.

Educated originally in the humanities at Harvard, Columbia, and Brown Universities, he was (until his own career change in 1974) a professor of American Literature at Mills College, Oakland, CA. He is a past president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology. The Wall Street Journal listed him as one of the top ten independent executive development presenters in America.

 

CONTENT

Article 04

‘A kind of meditative peace’: quiet hour shopping makes us wonder why our cities have to be so noisy 
by Eduardo de la Fuente, University of South Australia and Michael James Walsh, University of Canberra

 

Eduardo de la Fuente

Michael James Walsh

 

Eduardo de la Fuente, University of South Australia and Michael James Walsh, University of Canberra

The idea behind “quiet hour” shopping is to set aside a time each week for a retail experience that minimises noise and other sources of sensory overload. It is aimed at people who are neurodivergent – an umbrella term for people with autism, ADHD and other sensory-processing conditions.

What began as a boutique or specialist retail strategy has become more mainstream. Major supermarket chains and shopping centres in Australia and overseas have introduced it in recent years.

In newly published research we explored quiet hour as an aspect of the impacts of sound on how people experience city life. As expected, we found it did benefit people who are neurodivergent. But other people also welcomed the relief from sensory overload once they’d overcome the feeling of having wandered into an eerily quiet “post-apocalyptic scene”.

Our work has made us question the acceptance of urban noise and light as being part and parcel of a vibrant city.

What does quiet hour involve?

Quiet hour is intended to make retail spaces more inclusive or sensory-friendly. Its features include retailers or mall managers agreeing to:

• switch automatic doors to open

• pause collection of trolleys

• turn off the PA and music

• fix flickering lights and turn off as much lighting as practicable

• remove scented reeds and pause automatic scent dispensers

• switch off hand dryers

• turn down the volume on checkout scanners.

One of the tools we used for mapping quiet hour was a thematic analysis of reports about it in Australian print media from 2017 to 2019. We found the following themes:

• an emphasis on the kinds of discomforts associated with retail environments

• the importance of providing a “low-sensory environment” as a form of inclusion

• while lighting was often mentioned, the main recurring theme was the reduction of sound.

Why does reducing sound matter?

Sound and sensory hypersensitivity are important themes in neurodivergent people’s accounts of how they struggle with everyday experiences others take for granted.

Leading autism researcher and advocate Sandra Thom-Jones writes that neurodivergents’ sensitivity to sound is complex. It’s affected by “what the sound actually is, how loud it is, whether I am expecting it, and whether I can control it”.

People might assume everyone has the ability to frame which sounds are important and which are “irrelevant to what we are listening to or doing”. However, the ability to single out sound sources and block out background noise is a major point of differentiation between neurotypicals and neurodivergents.

Thom-Jones, who received her autism diagnosis at age 52, reports that when she is “in an environment with multiple sounds” she tends to “hear all of them”.

Thus, when she is catching up with a friend in a café, she may be “listening intently” to what her friend is saying but she will also be “hearing the piped music, the people talking at the next table, cars driving past, the coffee machine”.

Others welcome quiet hour too

Given how neurodivergents process sound, quiet hour is likely to increase their sense of comfort in retail spaces.

However, quiet hour also suspends or – to use a term coined by Erving Goffman – “rekeys” the sensory frames of all shoppers. A quiet hour could benefit lots of people who may not have a specific condition but simply prefer a quieter retail environment.

We found this is an under-researched area, but did find anecdotal accounts to suggest this. Take the case of New Zealand actress and author Michelle Langstone.

She reports visiting stores across Auckland and Rotorua that offer quiet-hour shopping. She stumbled upon it by “sheer luck”. At first, she admits, it felt “a bit like a post-apocalyptic scene”.

Once she adjusted to the unfamiliar sensory environment, she felt herself succumbing to changed supermarket routines:

 

“I cruised every single [aisle], taking in the quiet for nearly 45 minutes, at the end of which I felt a kind of meditative peace come over me.”

Langstone also reports avoiding impulse buying. That first time she left with “only [the] bread and eggs” she had gone to the shop for. She was able to focus on shopping rather than “multi-tasking”, and quiet hour left her with a “feeling of goodwill towards all shoppers”.

In other words, even if the strategy is about levelling the sensory playing field for neurodivergents, it seems to change the shopping experience for other people too.

Why the bias towards the noisy city?

As researchers interested in sound and space, quiet hour made us reflect on how we think about these issues and our attitudes to noise. It made us question, for example, why one of the most cited texts in our field is entitled Noise: The Political Economy of Music?

Studies of silence or quietude are rare in urban or spatial studies. One has to turn to fields such as the study of meditation practices or the silence associated with nature or sacred spaces to find positive accounts of reduced noise.

This needs correcting. Sound intensity matters if cities, buildings or public spaces are to foster hospitality and “support people in their activities by facilitating their stay”.

What quiet hour teaches us is that an inclusive or welcoming city is a city that “resonates” with different kinds of minds, bodies and styles of sensory processing.

Quiet hour might therefore be both an inclusion strategy and an experiment that forces us to think more deeply about our cities and how they sound.

Eduardo de la Fuente, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Justice and Society, UniSA, University of South Australia, and Michael James Walsh, Associate Professor in Social Sciences, University of Canberra

 

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

CONTENT

Climate Change Success Story

Plant migration

 

What causes plant migration?

Plants can be said to migrate, as seed dispersal enables plants to grow in new areas, under environmental constraints such as temperature and rainfall. When those constraints change, the border of a plant species's distribution may move, so the plant may be said to migrate, as for example in forest migration.

What causes plant migration?

Plants can be said to migrate, as seed dispersal enables plants to grow in new areas, under environmental constraints such as temperature and rainfall. When those constraints change, the border of a plant species's distribution may move, so the plant may be said to migrate, as for example in forest migration.

How climate change is affecting plants?

Rising temperatures lead to more frequent droughts, wildfires, and invasive pest outbreaks, leading to the loss of plant species. That has numerous detrimental effects including: Lowered Productivity: Longer droughts and increased number of heat waves will stress plants, causing them to be less productive.

How climate change is related to migration?

Climate migration occurs when people leave their homes due to extreme weather events, including floods, heat waves, droughts, and wildfires, as well as slower-moving climate challenges such as rising seas and intensifying water stress.

How do plants adapt to climate change?

Plants adapt to environmental stress by altering their metabolism, flowering, growth, and reproduction; and by migrating toward areas with more favorable climatic conditions.

How does increasing CO2 affect plants?

Rising carbon dioxide concentrations will increase plant growth. More rapid leaf area development and more total leaf area could translate into more transpiration. Rising carbon dioxide concentrations will decrease leaf stomatal conductance to water vapor. This effect could reduce transpiration.

What is an example of migration in climate change?

Climate change drivers of migration are, for example, extreme weather events like tropical hurricanes and droughts, or gradual changes to the environment like soil salinisation and rising sea levels.

How do plants adapt to cold climates?

As soon as the temperature decreases, it grows rapidly and produces seeds. It has thin leaves which help reduce water loss by transpiration. It has shallow roots to access nutrients and water close to the surface within the active layer.

Source: Google

 

Research




The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

is advancing the frontier of integrated research for global sustainability, and for a safe and just climate future. A member of the Leibniz Association, the institute is based in Potsdam, Brandenburg and connected with the global scientific community. Drawing on excellent research, PIK provides relevant scientific advice for policy decision-making. The institute’s international staff of about 400 is led by a committed interdisciplinary team of Directors. This is science – for a safe tomorrow.

Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL

The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL conducts research into changes in the terrestrial environment, as well as into the use and protection of natural spaces and cultural landscapes. It monitors the condition and development of the forests, landscapes, biodiversity, natural hazards, and snow and ice, and develops sustainable solutions for problems that are relevant to society – together with its partners from science and society.

WSL is organized in Research Units, Research Programmes and Initiatives and Service and Support Units.

WSL has, from the start, been active in all regions in Switzerland. In 1888 the first experimental plots were set up across the country to find out more about tree growth and yield. Today WSL maintains more than 6000 experimental and research plots, including large experimental stations for studying rock fall or debris flow, study areas for monitoring the effects of climate change on forests and sites damaged by storms or fires for investigating the impact of these natural hazards.

WSL is a research institute of the Swiss Confederation. It is part of the ETH Domain and employs approximately 600 people. In addition to the headquarters in Birmensdorf, near Zurich, and to the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos, branch stations in Lausanne and Bellinzona (opened in 1991) and Sion (1996) generate local synergies and reach out to professionals.

As part of an ETH Domain research institute, the Confederation requires the WSL to provide cutting-edge research and social benefits, particularly for Switzerland. One of the WSL's important national functions is to conduct the Swiss National Forest Inventory (NFI) and long-term forest ecosystem monitoring (LWF). It is particularly active in applied research, but basic research is also among its duties. SLF employees develop tools and guidelines for authorities, industry and the public in order to offer them support in natural hazard risk management and in the analysis of climatic and environmental changes. They also share their knowledge by teaching at domestic and foreign universities and by training other professionals.

WSL strives for excellence in terrestrial environmental research to provide solutions improving quality of life in a healthy environment.

What's the Swiss federal research institute WSL about?
by Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL

 

National Tree Seed Centre (NTSC), Canada

The National Tree Seed Centre (NTSC) maintains a dynamic living library of Canada’s forest genetic resources. The NTSC has over 13,000 unique seed collections from over 200 tree and shrub species – the most diverse collection of its kind in Canada. The centre is located at the Canadian Forest Service’s Atlantic Forestry Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick. At the centre, we:

• provide small quantities of seed for scientific research
• collect, test and store seed collections
• offer seed collection training and data

The quality of our seed collections, coupled with our expertise in storage and germination testing, makes the NTSC an important resource for:

• research
• conservation
• restoration
• reclamation
• reforestation
• tree and shrub breeding

 

Videos

Assisted migration' helps trees move so forests survive climate change
by KARE 11

"The idea is that the climate has shifted further north and so maybe the plants are mismatched with the climate they are adapted to."

Assisted Migration of Plants and Animals in a Changing Climate
by ghostsofevolution


Connie Barlow presents the rationale for advocating "assisted migration" northward to help an endangered conifer tree, Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia), recover from otherwise certain extinction. (The species had stopped producing seeds in its historically native range back in the 1960s, and was hanging on simply by a cycle of sending up new stems from the roots, which soon died back again.)

Barlow's talk was filmed in 2004 — the same year that she and Paul S. Martin co-authored an advocacy piece, "Bring Torreya Taxifolia North Now," published in Wild Earth magazine. 2004 was also the year that Connie coordinated the formation of and created a website for Torreya Guardians, torreyaguardians.org

Four years after this talk was filmed, Barlow and other Torreya Guardians" legally planted 31 nursery-grown seedlings of Torreya taxifolia in two forested plots of private land in the mountains of North Carolina. This action is recognized as the first intentional "assisted migration" for a plant species in the USA in direct response to climate change.

Global Seed Vault becomes more important than ever as climate change threatens crops
by PBS NewsHour

When you think of fresh produce and fields of grain, the Arctic may not spring to mind. But just 800 miles from the North Pole, the Global Seed Vault holds emergency stockpiles of most of the world's crops. It provides scientists with the tools they need to breed plants able to cope with a changing world. Special correspondent John Bevir visited the vault to learn more about the future of food.

 

 

CONTENT

Futurist Portrait

April Rinne
Change Navigator

 

 

April Rinne is equal parts global authority, advocate, ally and adventurer. She sees trends early, understands their potential, and helps others do the same. She’s a global citizen who brings insights, access and perspective to companies, governments, investors and organizations worldwide. But April is not only a thought leader; she’s also a doer. She connects people, ideas and resources in ways that say "wow, that's what the world needs" – and then makes it happen.

April is a pathfinder within the digital economy, platform economy and sharing economy. She advises startups and established companies, local and national governments, policy makers, think tanks and investors, working across for - profit and non - profit models. Her areas of expertise include policy reform; global expansion; the future of work; travel and tourism; sustainable development; cities; and emerging markets. She is known for her skill in bridging the private, public and social sectors -- building a more inclusive and responsible sharing economy in the process

 

Business models are in flux, the future of work is in flux, careers are in flux, education is in flux, financial markets are in flux, demographics are in flux, and the climate is in flux. If any of these topics ring true for you, you’re in the right place.

The world is changing, and I make sense of these changes from the perspective of a trusted advisor, advocate, thought leader, and lifelong global citizen. With more than 25 years of experience in more than 100 countries, I’ve developed a keen eye towards where the world is heading, and I have no greater purpose than to help build a brighter tomorrow.

 

Flux
8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change
By April Rinne

 

About Flux
Discover eight powerful mindset shifts that enable leaders and seekers of all ages to thrive in a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty.

Being adaptable and flexible have always been hallmarks of effective leadership and a fulfilling life. But in a world of so much - and faster-paced - change, and an ever-faster pace of change, flexibility and resilience can be stretched to their breaking points. The quest becomes how to find calm and lasting meaning in the midst of enduring chaos.

A world in flux calls for a new mindset, one that treats constant change and uncertainty as a feature, not a bug. Flux helps readers open this mindset - a flux mindset - and develop eight “flux superpowers” that flip conventional ideas about leadership, success, and well-being on their heads. They empower people to see change in new ways, craft new responses, and ultimately reshape their relationship to change from the inside out. April Rinne defines these eight flux superpowers:

Run slower.
See what’s invisible.
Get lost.
Start with trust.
Know your “enough.”
Create your portfolio career.
Be all the more human (and serve other humans).
Let go of the future.

Whether readers are sizing up their career, reassessing their values, designing a product, building an organization, trying to inspire their colleagues, or simply showing up more fully in the world, enjoying a flux mindset and activating their flux superpowers will keep readers grounded even when the ground is too often shifting beneath them.

 

April Rinne - Finding Your Superpower Through Uncertainty
by Mo Gawdat

 

 

 

CONTENT

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