A transportation vision

One of the most interesting people trying to invent the future of transportation is Dan Sturges. An original developer of the GEM electric vehicle, more recently Dan has been a leader at Intrago Mobility, which is promoting a whole-systems approach to transportation. Recently he spoke to a SMART conference, in this 10-minute overview of the dream.

The futurists and local transportation futures

The past week has been one of publicity for me, Futurist.com, and Seattle-area futurists.

The Seattle Times, in their Sunday magazine called Pacific Northwest, did a cover story profile, called “The Futurists.” The writer, Carol Ostrom, had approached me with the concept for a story on future trends and in the initial conversation asked whether there were other futurists in the Seattle area. I suggested she speak to several I know, including our colleague Brenda Cooper [click on Brenda and note she has a new paperback book out] and friend Mark Anderson, along with people like Sesh Velamoor. Carol reached most of them, plus a few more, and produced a nice overview of who futurists are and what we think (whether we use the moniker “futurist” or not). Check it out.

The second item in the local press was a supplement produced for the regional suburban weekly papers, called the Reporter (in my local town’s case, the Kirkland Reporter). As is true in most large communities, and is certainly true in the Puget Sound area, the future of transportation has been and is a constant issue, some would say struggle. I was interviewed about what I saw for suburban transportation in ten or twenty years. Briefly, with the opening of the first light-rail line in the Seattle area, I suggested that we’d see more light rail – if the new line is seen as moderately successful. In addition, we’ll see a continuing shift toward more walkable towns, as people age and seek to reduce their driving. Finally, we are going to see a faster than expected move to electrify the personal auto and related infrastructure. The reporter was a bit disappointed, I think, that I did not say we’d be flying in jet packs or flying cars in twenty years. Two articles resulted, here, and another here based on a series I wrote a year ago for a manufacturing association.

Glen Hiemstra is a futurist speaker, consultant, blogger, internet video host and founder of Futurist.com. To arrange for a speech contact Futurist.com.

Future of Technology – Twitter and a webcast archive

Yesterday I enjoyed speaking to the Woods Creek Consulting Technology Executive roundtable group. My assignment as a futurist speaker was to share news of the leading edge of technology development. We also did a live webcast, which was announced here, a link that also takes you to the webcast archive and to the slide show as well.

What did I address? I literally looked at updates to technology trends that I have heard of only in this year. So, I used a video-heavy program to illustrate, nano-muscles, nano-energy, 6th sense IT, and Intrago future transportation systems. The most interest discussion focused on social network trends like Twitter - about what they suggest about the future of communication.

My twitter slide was headlined: "Twitter: The Next Big Thing, or Tipping Point to a Meaning-free Future." Think about it. If you are following, or being followed by 500-5000 people at a Twitter account, as many now are, and if each of those followers "tweets" 5 times a day (many tweet more often than that), then you are supposedly going to scan between 1500 and 25,000 additional new messages each day. Even at just 140 characters per message, no one is going to do that. In addition, a majority of messages contain a link to a web-page being referred to, and thus you have thousands of webpages that you may also expect to review. There are filters and search tools to narrow that load, but my sense of Twitter at the moment is this: millions of "messages" being sent into the ether each day, but only a small percentage actually being read, or even noticed, by anyone. Is this communication? I don't know. It is building an archive of links that I presume will be stored for a while, and as a new library it may be interesting.

On the other hand, as Twitter is supposed to be the most immediate of information tools, if one were to treat it only as a searchable but historical data base then it does not add much value to what we already have. As a data base of the immediate moment - who is saying what on what topic, right now, perhaps there is utility. Still, like the proverbial tree falling in a deserted wood, if millions of tweets are produced but few are read, do they make a sound?

The webcast was done by Tim Reha. You can access the webcast archive (clips) of this program here.

Futurist Speaker: Keynote Speeches by Glen Hiemstra

The Future.
If you listen carefully, you can learn what the future is telling you.

Glen Hiemstra, futurist speaker, Founder of Futurist.com, author, blogger, has been listening to the future professionally for two decades. Glen's popular keynote speeches examine the important events, trends and developments that are shaping the future, with a particular emphasis on how we can create the future we prefer.

Glen addresses Development Officers in Portland

Keynotes are customized for your audience. Click here for a list of popular keynote topics. Glen Hiemstra is a powerful and entertaining speaker, a professional speaker for two decades. Audiences have compared Glen's speaking to Alvin Toffler for the scope of his vision, Jeremy Rifkin for his depth of analysis, and to James Burke for his style of presentation.
 

Popular Keynotes

In Sochi, Russia

Beyond 2020: The Shape of Things to Come

In this keynote Glen offers a sweeping and entertaining overview of the key trend areas shaping the next decade and beyond: demographics, technology, the knowledge-based economy, and the next energy revolution. The predictable but often surprising nature of the future is explored. Listeners are challenged both to wake up to the future and to take the creation of a preferred future into their own hands. Specific developments that are noted, depending on customization to the audience, may include telepresence, nanotechnology, 3D communication and entertainment, consumer and brand trends, the real situation with oil and energy, aging and youth demographic trends, confronting the great divides in society, environmental challenges and green business opportunities, and biotech advances that offer the hope of longer and healthier lives. This speech inspires listeners to develop successful strategic leadership and to create the future. Full of surprises, this customizable keynote offers a balanced view of the future, and a hopeful vision for the rest of the 21st Century.

Glen Speaks at Carter Center, Atlanta

Lessons from the Future – Navigating the 21st Century

This is a keynote focused on moving beyond the economic collapse of recent years. In 2006 and 2007 Glen was one of the early voices to warn of an impending economic crisis, more than a year before it happened. Now encourages audiences to look forward and the possibilities are far greater than most people imagine. Glen reviews the key trends shaping the next several decades, as we deal with the global economic re-set. He suggests that a new vision for a preferred future will emerge based on revised values, innovation, the network effects of advanced communication, and new technology. No field of enterprise, no nation, no community is unaffected by the changes which are happening, and all can create new opportunities. By acting wisely now you can lead your enterprise to a future that is more sustainable, of higher quality, and happier than what has come before. Glen believes that we have a rare opportunity to create a world that works, but we have to get really smart and really courageous in the coming decade. The future can be a new renaissance, if we are willing to think in the future tense.

Glen Speaks for SONAE in Portugal

Ask about other popular keynote speeches:

• Creating the Preferred Future
• The Future of Marketing in a Data Flow Culture
• 21st Century Healthcare
• The Future of Transportation

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Direct Contact for Presentations:

Glen Hiemstra
Futurist.com
Voice: 425.576.1441; Fax 425.576.0167
Email: info@futurist.com
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Information for Speaker Bureaus and Meeting Planners

• Speaker Introduction for Glen Hiemstra
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Americans want transportation change

It is turning out that Americans are in the mood for change in our transportation systems, despite recent declines in gasoline and oil prices. People want an integrated system of trains and buses that run on time and get them where they need to go, in cities and between cities. Yes, cars will be around for a long time, maybe forever if we make the shift to electrics or hydrogen, but the happy motoring lifestyle (as Kunstler likes to call it) is no longer the only American dream.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tractor

Autoblog Green, one of my favorite sites for tracking what is going on with green transportation alternatives, has an interesting lead article on the debut of a hydrogen fuel cell tractor, in Europe. The tractor looks great, and illustrates both the promise of, and problems with hydrogen fuel cells as a core technology for future vehicles.

The New Holland NH2 is billed as the world's first hydrogen-powered tractor, and it's just debuted in conceptual form in Italy. The zero-emissions tractor gets its power from a fuel cell that sends electrons to a 106-horsepower electric motor powering all four wheels. Problems include a major lack of range and an awfully high price, so New Holland isn't expecting to put the model into production until 2013.

I have followed fuel cell tech since the 1990's and the early days of Ballard Power Systems. I have been disappointed at the slow progression into the actual marketplace. There was a time when, based on Delphi Studies, fuel cell autos were expected to be mainstream by 2010.

The concept is still a good one, but there is a way to go before it is a consumer reality.

Featured Videos

The Future.
You have to see it to believe it.

On this page you will find recent videos of Glen speaking and being interviewed, videos that we produce, and other interesting videos about the future that I think are timely or worth highlighting in some way.



THE FUTURIST

In this short film Glen Hiemstra, Founder of Futurist.com and of DoTheFuture.com, explores what it means to be a futurist and what drives his work. The film was produced by Graymatter Productions, Seattle, Washington. For more information contact info@futurist.com.

Glen Hiemstra's New Keynote Sample Video

In November 2011, Glen worked with Seattle photographer David Ryder to produce a new Keynote Sample Video with updated highlights and new commentary.

Why Explore the Future

Buhler, Inc. in 2010

This is an excerpt from the Keynote speech Glen gave at Buhler's 150th anniversary celebration.

Kids View the Future

Children write postcards to the future - the 50 year future - in this charming video from ARC, used by permission.

Solar Roads and Future Solar Energy

We know that enough sunlight hits the earth every hour to power the world's energy needs for a year. Someday, sooner than many think, earth civilization will be converting to solar energy. One of the most clever ideas for doing so is the solar road.

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