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Preface: From “Vision 2050” to “New Vision
2050”
During the twentieth century, energy-supported material civilization advanced significantly. This brought about resource depletion and climate change. How should
material and energy be utilized in future to bring about global sustainability? In
1999, “Vision 2050” (Komiyama) was depicted as a model that should be pursued
half a century into the future.
Twenty years have elapsed since the first description of Vision 2050. Fortunately,
the world is moving toward Vision 2050.
The twenty-first century will probably be a century in which we will seek qualitative affluence with Vision 2050 as a materialistic base. This lends itself to the
specific image of a platinum society that is replete with resource self-sufficiency,
coexistence in harmony with nature, life-long self-reliance, diverse options, and
free participation. This book presents a “New Vision 2050,” to which the viewpoint
of a platinum society has been added to Vision 2050.
The concept of “New Vision 2050” is described in this Preface and Chap. 1.
Preface (1): Turning Point of Human History
Twenty-First Century Is a Special Era
Figure 1 shows the global average per capita GDP, life expectancy, and CO 2 concentration levels from the year 1000 AD to the present. The three lines depict similar
trajectories that rise rapidly upon entering the twentieth century. Given the pace of
expansion of human activity, the twentieth century stood out as a very special era.
For the most part of their long history, human beings have developed very slowly.
During the Greek and Roman eras, humans lived to about 24–25 years old, and even
after the passage of more than 2000 years in 1900, the average life expectancy was
still only 31 years old, an increase of only a few years. However, in 2011, the average life expectancy came to exceed 70 years. The greatest reason for this was the
gains in material wealth––a marked change from the past, where people lacked
Preface: From “Vision 2050” to “New Vision
2050”
During the twentieth century, energy-supported material civilization advanced significantly. This brought about resource depletion and climate change. How should
material and energy be utilized in future to bring about global sustainability? In
1999, “Vision 2050” (Komiyama) was depicted as a model that should be pursued
half a century into the future.
Twenty years have elapsed since the first description of Vision 2050. Fortunately,
the world is moving toward Vision 2050.
The twenty-first century will probably be a century in which we will seek qualitative affluence with Vision 2050 as a materialistic base. This lends itself to the
specific image of a platinum society that is replete with resource self-sufficiency,
coexistence in harmony with nature, life-long self-reliance, diverse options, and
free participation. This book presents a “New Vision 2050,” to which the viewpoint
of a platinum society has been added to Vision 2050.
The concept of “New Vision 2050” is described in this Preface and Chap. 1.
Preface (1): Turning Point of Human History
Twenty-First Century Is a Special Era
Figure 1 shows the global average per capita GDP, life expectancy, and CO 2 concentration levels from the year 1000 AD to the present. The three lines depict similar
trajectories that rise rapidly upon entering the twentieth century. Given the pace of
expansion of human activity, the twentieth century stood out as a very special era.
For the most part of their long history, human beings have developed very slowly.
During the Greek and Roman eras, humans lived to about 24–25 years old, and even
after the passage of more than 2000 years in 1900, the average life expectancy was
still only 31 years old, an increase of only a few years. However, in 2011, the average life expectancy came to exceed 70 years. The greatest reason for this was the
gains in material wealth––a marked change from the past, where people lacked