The hottest Global trends Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Hits and Misses

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 1599 implied HN points • 10 Feb 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Policy Sustainability Renewable Energy Global trends
  1. IEA scenarios are not predictions but imaginative sequences that help envision possible futures. They aim to guide policy but vary in how closely they match reality.
  2. Outlook scenarios from the IEA have performed better than normative ones, showing a steady rise in global energy demand instead of a decline.
  3. There are big gaps between IEA projections for solar and nuclear energy and real-world outcomes, highlighting the need for better understanding and scenario evaluation.

How Psychological Distress Globally Accelerated Among Youth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

After Babel • 691 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Youth Issues Crisis response Global trends
  1. Youth mental health issues have greatly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many more young people are reporting feelings of anxiety and depression now than before.
  2. The rise in mental health complaints among adolescents has been particularly high for girls. Almost 60% of girls experience mental health complaints regularly.
  3. Different countries show varying levels of mental health issues among youth. Cultural and societal factors play a big role in how these problems are experienced in different places.

"Climate Change is Showing its Claws"

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 2718 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Natural Disasters Insurance Economics Global trends
  1. In 2024, global weather-related disaster losses reached $298 billion, with a significant portion occurring in the U.S., mainly due to hurricanes. This shows that while climate change impacts us, other factors like economic growth also play a big role.
  2. Today, disaster losses as a percentage of global GDP are less than they were 30 years ago. This suggests that despite increasing losses in dollars, extreme weather is not as devastating to the economy as it used to be.
  3. The rising insured losses are largely driven by construction in risky areas and inflation, rather than just climate change. It's important to consider these factors when looking at why disaster losses are increasing.

Country Risk: My 2024 Update

Musings on Markets • 959 implied HN points • 24 Jul 24
💰 Finance Risk Assessment Investing Market Analysis Economic Factors Global trends
  1. Investing in a country is riskier depending on its political structure, level of violence, corruption, and property rights. Democracies can be unstable, while autocracies might promise consistency but can change suddenly.
  2. External factors like reliance on a single commodity, economic growth stages, and climate change can increase a country's risk. Countries tied to one resource are vulnerable to market shifts.
  3. Understanding country-specific risk is important for businesses and investors. Different countries have different costs of capital due to their risk levels, impacting investment decisions.

How much food did the world produce in 2024?

Sustainability by numbers • 379 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🍲 Food & Drink Food production Agriculture Sustainability Global trends
  1. In 2024, global food production of staple crops like rice, wheat, and soybeans is expected to hit record highs. This is good news as it means more food is available.
  2. While some crops like corn may not reach last year's records, overall yields for most staples are strong. This shows that farming practices are improving.
  3. Other crops like cocoa and coffee have mixed results; cocoa production has dropped while coffee is nearly at record levels. It highlights how different crops respond differently to growing conditions.
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Community Meetup

chamathreads • 452 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
💼 Business Technology Markets Global trends Community Education
  1. The meetup is private and focuses on discussing technology, markets, and global trends in the Bay Area.
  2. Chamath Palihapitiya has written deep dives on Energy Transition and AI and plans to cover U.S. healthcare next.
  3. The meetup is for paid subscribers who are part of the community of lifelong learners on Learn With Me.

Everyone, Everywhere

¡Do Not Panic! • 550 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Covid-19 Impact Public Health Global trends
  1. There is a significant increase in sickness and absenteeism due to COVID in various countries like the UK, US, Australia, Spain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Sweden, and Poland.
  2. Governments are not showing compassion towards sick individuals and are not implementing proactive measures to address the long-term impact of COVID on workforce productivity.
  3. COVID is not transforming into a common cold, and repeated exposure to the virus may have unknown long-term effects on individuals' health and immunity.

Economic Calendar for the Week of November 24, 2024

Alex's Personal Blog • 32 implied HN points • 24 Nov 24
💰 Finance Economic Events Market Analysis Earnings Reports Global trends
  1. Thanksgiving is coming up, and it's a good time to take a break and enjoy the holiday with family.
  2. This week will see some tech earnings and IPOs, including the self-driving software company Pony.ai going public.
  3. Economic events are happening in the U.S. and globally, with various reports on jobless claims, consumer confidence, and business confidence scheduled.

The Ill-Defined Space Global Orbital Launch Summary: 2024

Ill-Defined Space • 9 implied HN points • 03 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Space Exploration Rocket launches Aerospace Industry Global trends Engineering
  1. In 2024, there were 254 orbital launches, showing a 20% increase from 2023. SpaceX was a big player, responsible for most of these launches.
  2. The U.S. dominated the launch industry with 154 launches, which was 61% of global activity. SpaceX alone conducted 87% of those U.S. launches.
  3. Other countries also participated, like China with 66 launches, but they didn't match the U.S. numbers. Japan and India each managed 5 launches, showing varying levels of activity.

Join my Conversation with Lyman Stone

In My Tribe • 45 implied HN points • 16 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Demography Fertility Public Policy Social Issues Global trends
  1. There will be a Zoom talk about worldwide fertility decline. It's a chance to learn about why it's happening and what could be done about it.
  2. The talk is happening on January 20 at 8:45 PM New York time. Attendees can join and ask questions after the discussion.
  3. The event is for paid subscribers, and the conversation may be recorded for later viewing on YouTube.

Five Global Mega Trends That Will Drive the Future of Work

Workforce Futurist by Andy Spence • 488 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
💼 Business Technology Demographics Global trends Future work Labor Market
  1. India will surpass China as the most populous country in 2023, impacting global work trends.
  2. Global industries will evolve, creating new job opportunities like robo-taxis and personalized medicine.
  3. Work is unbundling into tasks and rebundling into new teams like techie cooperatives and DAOs.

Overcoming Population Arguments to Living Longer

Extropic Thoughts • 117 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🔬 Science Population Growth Life Extension Fertility Global trends Economic Impact
  1. Having more people is not inherently bad; each new person brings potential for creativity and productivity.
  2. Limiting lifespan extension to control population growth is ethically irresponsible and ineffective; focusing on reducing birth rates is a better approach.
  3. Global population growth is projected to slow and eventually decline due to various factors, including declining fertility rates and aging populations.

Economic Calendar for the Week of December 29, 2024

Alex's Personal Blog • 0 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
💰 Finance Economic Events Market Analysis Corporate News Global trends Political Influence
  1. The economic calendar for the week is short as everyone is getting ready for the New Year. It includes some important U.S. and global events to watch.
  2. Big news this week involves AI and tech updates, such as Microsoft and Activision's deal and new AI tools for legal systems.
  3. There are several important economic indicators coming up, like home sales and job claims, that could give insights into the economy's performance.