In the year 2000, the population on earth was 6 billion people. This year, the population will reach 7 billion. By 2025, global population will grow to 8 billion. These are ‘the Many’. One of the implications of this rapid population is that we shall need to grow more food. In doing so, we shall use more energy and we shall use far more water. The potential constraints resulting from our unsustainable use of Food, Energy, and Water (the FEW) are ones of great concern to futurists.

There is the possibility of acute scarcities of food, energy, and water as we head towards 2030. These scarcities are likely to be further exacerbated by the impact of climate change and peak oil over the next two decades. From this perspective, there is ample scope for quite a dystopian future. However, this future is not set, and we still have time to prepare for it, in order to make the most of the opportunities that it generates. It is up to us to construct a better future.

This session will examine the key drivers that are propelling us towards a period of scarcity. We will consider the basic components and how they fit together in a complex and unpredictable system. The session will set the scene for participants in the following sessions where the impacts of the Many and the FEW upon specific communities will be discussed.

This is the first session of the WFS Europe 2011-12 Programme.