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RE; Haida Gwaii 4/14/2015 10:58:36 AM
Reply to Friend Hi Ron,
You're right. There will be huge changes in the digital interface. I've finished reading about a motorized wheelchair with four-wheel independent suspension. It's supposed to handle exposed tree roots, small boulders and treacherous pot holes. Users can take it on wilderness trails. Unfortunately it still requires some functioning of the hands to operate the joysticks. <> In time I expect there will be direct connections from mind to artificial muscles. You could be outfitted with an exoskeleton which would give you basic mobility. You could apply for an office job like anyone else. <> However from firsthand experience, aboriginal reserves in Canada are worlds apart. It may true in USA as well. The reserves are semiautonomous nations. That's why the reserves feature gambling casinos and will sell folks untaxed cigarettes. Many are less fortunate. I've visited communities where drinking water consists of 300-gallon cisterns with dead insects and forest litter floating on the surface. Many houses don't have electricity and, if they do, the wiring is substandard and never properly inspected, since the government gives residents the building materials for which they must build the structures themselves. <> Of course, aboriginals often elect leaders who grant favors to friends and relatives and leave the rest of the band destitute. There are many to blame on all sides of the issue. Bottom line is that many Native Americans don't have access to the technologies which urban folks take for granted. Haida Gwaiians have declared their territories an independent nation and have issued citizenship documents. They have appealed to the United Nations. And UNESCO has declared southern Haida Gwaii a World Heritage Site. <> My mistake is around page 15 where I didn't do a good job of explaining the Changeover. Under its terms, aboriginals have been granted title to all lands outside the metropolitan plexus. Highway and power lines have been dismantled. Fossil fuels are no longer available for sale. These measures have gone into effect with the consent and approval of residents, whether treaty natives or not. <> My idea is to create parklands everywhere that urban sprawls are not. More than 95% of the population will live in urban enclaves. Cities will need to become way more livable. For starters, I'd like to see more urban parks, better rapid transit systems. In short, cities with a high quality of life, and rural areas available for selective recreational activities: swimming, skiing, hiking, camping, sailing, anything that doesn't damage the fauna and flora. This may be the only way to accommodate future populations without screwing up the environment. <> I doubt this WILL happen although trends are encouraging in some respects. Folks in rural areas are flocking to cities, but the cities (especially in the 3rd-world) aren't prepared for so many newcomers who find their livelihoods worse than before. Cities are noisy and ugly, even in developed countries. I'm convinced what the world needs is a different kind of economic game plan. Even so, I don't have great hopes that leaders will follow through on this. I can only describe what could or might happen if the ducks (by some miracle) all line up in a row.
