In the year 2050 there will be an estimated nine billion people in the world. (9,309,051,539 according to the US Census Bureau. (We’ll see how well that plays out. (Oh, well.))) 80% of these 9,309,051,539 (7,447,241,231.2?) are projected to be living in urban centers. If farming is to continue being practiced in traditional fashion, 10⁹ hectares of new land is estimated required to grow sufficient food to sustain the people. That is a land mass of 20 percent more than what makes up the country of Brazil. Oh, and it seems 80 percent of the earth’s land suitable for farming is presently in use.

Makani Power is an exciting start-up in California, with a team of sail makers and kite designers fronted by a MacArthur genious grant recipient and a World Cup windsurfer. They build what they refer to as super-kites, aimed at harnessing energy from high altitude winds, and have already successfully been able to generate enough power to supply five average households with one not-too-big kite. With millions of dollars from Godzilla Google, they are determined to tap in to a constant source of energy, and generate the cheapest and cleanest energy yet. Wait, what, an actual solution?

The Internet has marked a major development in information availability and the possibilities of dealing with this information. There are online news, blogs, videos and other outlets detailing an awful lot on the happenings in the world. In a recent study, researchers at the Stockholm University and the University of East Anglia propose a system for monitoring information on the Internet to warn of environmental change.