Food riots in Haiti, gas at $1.31 [Canada], arctic icecap disappearing faster than previously understood, the US/ global credit crisis, etc etc. Then layer on Mikes excellent presentation about drivers of change.

I think time for me to re-read this book from 2007. Just too much makes sense, and strategy must consider the impacts of global change, to be complete.

The Upside of Down – The Argument

1. energy stress, especially from increasing scarcity of conventional oil;
2. economic stress from greater global economic instability and widening income gaps between rich and poor;
3. demographic stress from differentials in population growth rates
   between rich and poor societies and from expansion of megacities in
   poor societies;
4. environmental stress from worsening damage to land, water forests, and fisheries; and,
5. climate stress from changes in the composition of Earth’s atmosphere.

Of the five, energy stress plays a particularly important role, because
energy is humankind’s master resource. When energy is scarce and
costly, everything a society tries to do — including growing its food,
obtaining enough fresh water, transmitting and processing information,
and defending itself — becomes far harder.

The effect of the five stresses is multiplied by the rising
connectivity and speed of our societies and by the escalating power of
small groups to destroy things and people, including, potentially,
whole cities.