Future Problem Solving

Abstract

Some scientists contend that the next Ice Age has already begun. For example, Lowell Ponte in his recent book. The Cooling: Has the Next Ice Age Already Begun? Can We Survive It? (Prentice-Hall, 1976, $8.95), maintains that the well-documented cooling of the world's climate presents humankind with the most important social, political, and adaptive challenge we have had to deal with in 10,000 years. He warns that if strong measures are not taken to deal with these climatic changes, the world may face widespread famine, chaos, and war by the year 2000. He suggests three alternative courses of action: (1) adapting ourselves to the new climatic conditions, (2) changing the weather and climate on a limited local scale, or (3) controlling climate on the global level.

In this first problem in the Future Problem Solving Program, your team will explore the first of these three alternatives — adapting ourselves to the new climatic conditions — the cooling of the earth.**