Most of our research efforts will focus on climate change while simultaneously incorporating energy and space. Our group chose to explore into climate, energy, and space because the future depends on research and innovation in these areas. These areas are so vast and everyday there could be new technologies, laws, and disruption. Our job, as forecasters, is to examine the impact of disruptive events and/or technologies so that we can plan for the future and educate others as well. To be in front of, or at least aligned with the changes would be a good spot not just for our futures but to educate people around us.
Furthermore, our stakeholders are the entire earth as well as outer space. Climate change is something that affects everyone and everything living on this planet. More specifically, our stakeholders include people, governments, non-governmental organizations, activists, suppliers, customers, employees, investors, and shareholders. This is greatly emphasized through the industries that are affected by climate change which include but are not limited to insurance, agriculture, energy, forestry, fishing, and beverage industries. Insurance is affected by climate change because of the rising sea levels that increase the potential for flooding. This drives up both premiums and payouts, which puts a strain on the insurance industry. Agriculture is affected because as temperatures rise in agricultural regions, many crops have less time to mature which leads to an overall smaller number of yields. Energy is affected because climate change affects energy demand for everyone. Warmer temperatures increase the demand for cooling energy in the summer, while decreasing the demand for heat energy in the winter. It also leads to regulations on fossil fuels to increase, threatening gas, lucrative oil and coal industries. Markets affected by climate change include the financial markets of insurance and mortgage, pension funds, etc.
Our group’s plan is to view climate, energy, and space in different lenses by discussing the social, technological, economic, environmental, and political aspects of these topics. The modern space race has a wide range of implications for the entirety of humanity. The impacts are wide reaching. To craft a space worthy vessel, it takes resources—resources that are rare and hard to retrieve. We must look at the cost of acquiring, shipping, manufacturing, and assembling the crucial elements of the spaceship that allow to achieve space travel. This has a human cost as well as a carbon cost that needs to be accounted for with the increased competition for those resources. However, this leads to advances in technology, more energy efficient devices, and opportunities for more efficient utilities. Internet and energy providers may look to space for maximizing their resources. In all, the ability for billionaires to compete in a space once reserved for entire countries presents new challenges that represent fascinating opportunities and difficult decisions.
