# What’s going to be a problem in 25 years, but people are choosing to ignore now? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2023, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356 "2023-02-06T01:00:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/161 "2023-02-17T11:31:49Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > And you’re just the one who decides what the fix is, or knows the one who does. Well, yes, I do. Very perceptive of you. Also, airplanes? They’d top the list of inventions that I’d ban. I hate airplanes. Military equipment will be confined to sticks and rocks. Or maybe just sticks. Twigs. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/162 "2023-02-17T13:26:58Z")
cardio-vascular health. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/163 "2023-02-17T14:14:56Z")
[This](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11759227/America-fundamentally-unprepared-zoonotic-diseases-says-analysis-Harvard-NYU.html) DM article (sorry) says, > America is still ‘fundamentally unprepared’ for **zoonotic diseases** - the biggest threat to humankind, says analysis by Harvard and NYU ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/164 "2023-02-17T19:08:49Z")
Let’s add the unknown long-term impacts of COVID-19. I suspect we’re going to have a lot of very sick people in the coming years. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/165 "2023-02-19T18:00:36Z")
The proliferation of fundementalist religion. Be it christian, islam or whatever: each seems to be against science, human rights (especially women), warlike against its rivals and a very nasty regime to live under. Hopefully it contains the seeds of its own downfall: by deprecating science, a regime of this type will fail because they can’t keep the machines running by faith. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/166 "2023-02-19T20:13:10Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > We could go back to being entertained by traveling theatre troupes, reading aloud, and group singing in the public square. Jesus. I think I’d prefer ecological collapse. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/167 "2023-02-19T21:14:07Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Jesus. I think I’d prefer ecological collapse. It’s the one to bet on anyway, so you’re in luck. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/168 "2023-02-22T03:07:29Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > How about the helium shortage? We’re running out, it’s critical to a whole lot of high-end stuff, but people gotta have their mylar balloons for the office party. Problem solved: > **[Helium: South Africa strikes new 'gold'](https://phys.org/news/2021-10-helium-south-africa-gold.html)** > > In a grassy plain in South Africa, once the world's largest gold producer, prospectors have stumbled upon a new treasure: helium. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/169 "2023-02-22T03:38:49Z")
I don’t think that solves the problem. It just delays it a bit. And I think the estimates are still 25’ish years out. I haven’t heard that we can consider helium a renewable or endless resource. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/170 "2023-03-04T01:25:06Z")
I have heard that the Finnish government has a special, regular committee that each year picks one foreseeable problem, develops strategies to meet it, and has the resources to implement the strategy. A few years back, “pandemic virus” was the problem, and Finland stockpiled appropriate supplies. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/171 "2023-03-04T01:31:54Z")
> [@Kropotkin](#): > > Finland stockpiled appropriate supplies So that’s where all the toilet paper was. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356/172 "2023-03-04T01:34:27Z")
Yup. They’re a dour people, but crafty. Just ask the Russian army [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-going-to-be-a-problem-in-25-years-but-people-are-choosing-to-ignore-now/979356.md?page=8)