A letter from the editor of The World Ahead
Life comes at you fast. Whether it's the upsurge in armed conflict, the
redrawing of the global energy-resources map or rapid progress in
artificial intelligence (AI), the world is changing at mind-boggling speed.
From the situation in the Middle East to the adoption of electric vehicles
to the treatment of obesity, things look very different from the way they
did just a year or two ago. Our aim is to help you keep your worldview
up to date--and tell you what might be coming next. To kick things off,
here are ten themes to watch in the coming year.
.Vote-a-rama!
There will be more than 70 elections in 2024 in countries that are home to around
4.2bn people--for the first time, more than half of the global population. But while
there is more voting than ever, there is not necessarily more democracy: many
elections will be neither free nor fair.
2. America's global choice.
Voters, and the courts, will give their verdicts on Donald Trump, who has a one-in-
three chance of regaining the presidency. The result may come down to a few tens
of thousands of voters in a handful of swing states. But the consequences will be
global, affecting everything from climate policy to military support for Ukraine.
3. Step up, Europe.
Accordingly, Europe must step up and provide Ukraine with the
military and economic backing needed for a long fight, while laying
out a path towards eventual EU membership.
4. Middle East turmoil.
Hamas's attack on Israel, and Israel's retaliation against Gaza, have
upended the region and scotched the idea that the world could continue
to ignore the Palestinians' plight.
5. Multipolar disorder.
America's plan to pivot to Asia, and focus more on its rivalry with a
rising China, has been derailed by war in Ukraine and now Gaza.
Russia, too, is distracted and losing influence. Frozen conflicts are
thawing and local cold wars are heating up around the world.
6. A second cold war.
As China's growth has slowed, tensions rise over Taiwan, and America
continues to limit Chinese access to advanced technologies, the “new
cold war”rhetoric has hardened.
7. New energy geography.
The clean-energy transition is minting new green superpowers and
redrawing the energy-resources map. Lithium, copper and nickel matter
much more, while oil and gas, and the regions that dominate their supply,
matter less.
8. Economic uncertainty.
Western economies did better than expected in 2023 but are not out of the
woods yet, and interest rates staying “higher, for longer”will be painful for
companies and consumers alike, even if recessions are avoided.
9.AI gets real.
Businesses are adopting it, regulators are regulating it and techies continue
to improve it. Worries abound about AI's effect on jobs and potential for
election meddling.
10. Uniting the world?
Perhaps ideological differences will be put aside as the world enjoys the
Paris Olympics, astronauts (maybe) looping around the Moon, and the
men’s T 20 cricket World Cup. But it is just as likely that those hoping for
some global unity will be stumped.
Everything in 2024 is filled with uncertainty. what preparations can we make? Every family can prepare an emergency kit/ a 72-hour emergency kit. I happen to provide emergency power sources for these first aid kits. So, what kind of emergency power source should we choose? I recommend aluminum-air batteries. You can check out another blog 'The advantages of Aluminum-Air Batteries as an Emergency Power Source'