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If you want to power the world, you need to face facts about Renewables, namely that they cannot and will never be able to do enough. The future, and a future that China and India are quickly embracing, is in MSR/LFTRs and in Gen IV nuclear reactors, with the former being the more promising of the two in my opinion because it's not like thorium is rare. The tech is well known. We just have to put the time and money into it. Same deal for the Gen IV fission reactors. Our aging nuclear power infrastructure is not a benefit, we are actively harming ourselves with our childish fear of nuclear energy.

As far as the video goes I don't think it was Malthusian at all, if anything it was a refutation of Malthusian doctrine on just about every front.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Automated cars aren't something that will show up for a very very long time.

I disagree. Commercialization of the concept is the real key to adoption and the first major fleet replacement contract was announced in Australia http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/business-it/forget-selfdriving-google-cars-australia-has-selfdriving-trucks-20141020-118o47.html

I am dead certain from a variety of sources that negotiations and discussions are in place for self driving big rigs. As the fleets convert, insurance companies will then forcibly drive the chance. The smart car is safer and more predictable, thus they are less likely to pay out.

 Xenomancers wrote:

 kronk wrote:
What do self driving cars have to do with: "Worried about the Population Bomb, Global Warming, Poverty, and the Future of Mankind?"

The future of mankind is an escalation of current trends: wars over resources.

There is an overtone of the end to man kind with these kinds of issues. The truth is the most important issue is human beings being unemployable due to machines.

No. There's a simple fix there. If machines can do all the work, we need to reorganize our economy. Please see Star Trek for more information.