Monday, April 17, 2006

Past Future and Social Responsibility

Intersting and kind of funny to look back at past forecasts for the future.



Definitive document of pre-World War II futuristic utopian thinking, as envisioned by General Motors. Documents the "Futurama" exhibit in GM's "Highways and Horizons" pavilion at the World's Fair, which looks ahead to the "wonder world of 1960."

Comments:
"I find it ironic that this optimistic film proclaiming the dawn of a new era was debuted at a time when the world was starting a war that would devastate continents, kill millions, attempt to annihilate a race, and start a cold war that would last for decades. It's sad, too, in that--over 65 years later, we still have not realized the dreams of the beautiful cities we are shown here. (of course, I still don't have a flying car, either!)"

Other links:
++ GM's Corporate Responsibility report

i++ "Life cycle approach" to vehicle design Basically, as the vehicle moves through the development process, they track their progress to confirm they are achieving their goals. These requirements include specifying vehicle recyclability and recoverability and compliance with GM restricted and reportable materials requirements.

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