In the Year 2111

In one hundred years, the United States will have taken major strides to becoming sustainable. The US government will play an integral role in the incentivizing of green living. First, the population will be smaller, as most families will either have one or no children. This will be in part, a result of families with one child receiving a major tax credit from the government. Next, the US will harness energy using solar, wind or water power. Regions of the country will collectively decide on the alternative energy source that is best for them and accordingly all buildings (residential or commercial) will be self-sustaining using those methods. The government will once again provide a generous tax incentive for those that make the transition. Third, there will be a major change in the average American diet. Meat consumption will be reduced, as meat will no longer be the main source of protein. Instead, the norm will be to get protein from plant based sources (beans, lentils, etc.). This will in turn limit the size of animal farms, and decrease the size of that energy draining industry. As my blog group member noted before me, the issue of fresh water and access to it will be a pressing one over the next several decades. However, the US will address this problem by 2111 by taking measures such as diverting rain from simply going down storm drains and instead collecting it in giant underground cisterns so that the water can be used later. Also, homes and businesses will have gray-water filtration systems that reuse the water rather than send it through the septic system to contribute to water pollution. Also, the government will punish businesses through taxation if they fail to clean and purify water before disposing of it. Finally, improved transportation systems that run on clean energy will be the norm and easily accessible to the public. The car industry will be based on cars running on clean energy such as solar power and will follow the Cradle to Cradle concept that all materials can be repurposed and reused. You will never find a car in a junkyard in the US in 2111 for example. Ultimately, the US will (hopefully) undergo major transitions to be sustainable by the year 2111. There are many different ways to tackle these environmental problems, but one undeniable factor will be the role of the national government in incentivizing and encouraging a green lifestyle.