2050 facts for kids

2050 (also written as MML in Roman numerals) will be a year that starts on a Saturday. It will be the first year in the 2050s, a decade that will bring many changes. People predict many things will happen by this year, from changes in our environment to how many people live on Earth.

What Might Happen by 2050

Protecting Our Planet

• In 2008, the G8 countries agreed to cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050. This aims to fight climate change.
• In 2006, a UN expert warned that all fish species could disappear if we keep fishing at the same speed.
• A 2002 study by the World Wildlife Fund suggested that Earth might not have enough resources to support human life by 2050.
• Due to climate change, fish might become nearly a quarter smaller in size.
• A scientist predicted in 2006 that watching stars from Earth using telescopes might become impossible by 2050. This is because of pollution from aircraft exhaust trails and climate change.

Future Technology and Health

• The price of special fuel cells (called PEM fuel cells) might drop a lot by 2050. This is because many cars could use this technology with Hydrogen gas.
• In 2002, experts thought the number of people with Alzheimer's disease in the United States could triple by 2050. This would mean 16 million people. Later, in 2007, a study suggested the number worldwide could reach over 100 million. However, new medical discoveries might help stop or even reverse Alzheimer's.
• An expert from the European Commission believes that solar power from North Africa could provide a huge amount of electricity (100 GW) to all of Europe.
• Some people predict that a space elevator might be finished by 2050. This would make traveling to space much easier.

World Economies and Recycling Goals

• Goldman Sachs, a big financial company, predicts the top ten largest economies in the world by 2050 will be: China, the United States, India, Brazil, Russia, Japan, Mexico, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, and France.
• Wales aims to recycle all of its waste by 2050.

How Many People Will Live on Earth?

• In 2001, the United Nations Population Fund thought the world population would reach 9.3 billion by 2050. It was 6.1 billion then. Most of this growth is expected in developing countries. This number has been updated a few times, with the United States Census Bureau predicting 9.5 billion in 2008.
• Another study from the European Commission suggested the world population would grow to 8.9 billion by 2050. It also said that after 2030, the population in some places like Europe and China might start to shrink.
• In many rich countries, the population is not growing enough to replace older generations. The United States is an exception, partly because of immigration.
• It's estimated that there will be 601,000 centenarians (people who are 100 years old or more) in the USA by 2050.
• A UN report in 2005 said that about 9.075 billion people will live on Earth in 2050. This is a big increase from about 7 billion today.
• This increase is like adding the current populations of China and India together to the world's current population.
• The good news is that the speed of population growth is slowing down. This means the total population might become stable in the second half of the century.
• By 2050, India is expected to have more people than China. These two countries together might make up about half of the world's population.
• Most of the population growth will happen in poorer countries. These countries already struggle to feed their people. The UN report says that family planning and fewer births explain this difference.
• The United Nations also predicts that by 2050, about 2 out of every 9 people in the world will be 60 years old or older. The average person is also expected to live longer, past 76 years old.

2050 in Stories and Games

Books

• Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (1948): The special language called Newspeak becomes the official language of a fictional country called Oceania.
• Life in 2050 by Ulrich Eberl: This book shows what life might be like in the year 2050.
• "The Weed of Time" by Norman Spinrad: In this short story, the first human mission to a star called Tau Ceti returns to Earth on September 8.

TV Shows

• Immortal Grand Prix (2005): The second season of this show takes place in the middle of 2050.
• The TV show Come Back Mrs. Noah from the UK starts its events in 2050.
• The children's TV series Silversun begins its 90-year journey to a new planet in 2050.

Movies

• Love Story 2050 (2008, Hindi language film).
• Sunshine: In this movie, a spaceship called Icarus I tries to restart the dying sun but fails.

Video Games

• Shadowrun (1993)
• Maelstrom (2007)
• Dropship: United Peace Force (2002)
• In Civilization V, the game automatically ends if no one wins by 2050.

See also

In Spanish: 2050 para niños