But I think we'll be looking for solutions which are fast to deploy, meet the current need and have the least environmental impact. As we deal with climate change, I think we'll be developing a new vision of our world and the role of nations. I'm cautiously optimistic that this challenge will bring about a better world, with fewer economic asymmetries, a better overall quality of life for the whole population, and the institutions and conventions which will ensure further progress in social justice. And it may be just in time. The final area is the promising new field of nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology is the science and engineering of the very small.
Its most noteworthy spokesperson is Dr. Eric Drexler who outlined a near utopian vision of a world using nanotechnology. I'm not sure if Dr. Drexler's vision will come true, but my sense is that much of it is achievable. Initial developments in nanotechnology may afford particular companies or nations significant advantages over their competitors. Advantages which may be orders of magnitude greater than any other advantage ever enjoyed by a single group of individuals. How those companies or nations deal with those advantages will determine how difficult the transition is going to be.