Michael Intravartolo: The Next Decade

As we look forward to the next decade what can we expect? Will the past decade's problems define this upcoming one? I certainly would hope not! The past decade was encompassed with problems. It first began with Y2k supposedly shutting down the world, then 9-11 happened, next we moved into the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Hurricane Katrina Struck, the Asian Tsunami happened, Global Warming became a thing of the present instead of the future, gas/oil prices soared out of control, the Housing Bubble burst, and let's not forget the "almost" global economic meltdown. God only knows and one can only wonder if the past will define our future.

As this decade begins I anticipate the world waking up to climate change. The United States will quickly begin to move towards "greener" efficiency and whether or not China and India will follow us remains to be seen. As snow begins to melt and deplete certain nations water supplies I think it may spark a few technological opportunities. And who knows, personal ocean water purifying stations maybe cheap and prevalent! Now, as the Earth begins to warm in the polar regions I think potential conflicts could arise over the new found habitable land. I could be wrong but I think I read an article this past year where Russia wanted to claim some land in the Northern Ice-Cap.

As for other technological advances, I think robots that simulate human movements is only going to improve on a scale that we can't imagine. Speaking of robotic/mechanical parts some people already believe that artificial limbs may already be outperforming human ones. I'd be willing to bet the governments ownership in General Motors that if the artificial limbs don't already outperform human limbs they will by the end of the decade. As for big inventions that everyone can use--I'll take a guess and go with the 3D experience at home becoming better, hologram televisions, 4D becoming more popular at theaters, and alternative fuels and stations being more prevalent.

Politically, I think we might see a shift in complete democratic power to a more balanced congress. I also believe we'll see our first women president.

In the past decade I learned and lived by one quote when I wondered if things would get better in my personal or professional lives, or the world over. That quote is: "Things can only get better after they first have become worse." That means in believing that this quote is true 2010 is going to shape up to be one prosperous decade for us!! All-in-all I still know one thing: I'm betting on the children of today!

Here's a cartoonist's view on the upcoming decade: