Ask HN: Best Place to Live in 2050?
51 comments
My vote goes to Switzerland too.
I migrated here years ago, felt unhappy and travelled a lot. Only with getting older and mostly trough the current pandemic i realized how lucky i actually am.
- We still practice small scale farming communities that are commercially feasable due to smart import taxes
- We have multiple altitudes, climate zones and languages, something for everyone.
- We have a well working society and government most people are very accepting for. Something most countries don't seem to have as seen recently.
- We are kinda well protected (good army, mountains, plenty of weapons in private homes [if that's good or not, it might be in this scenario])
- I think no country did show how it values the independent individual responsibility more than Switzerland in the recent months. No hard lockdowns, no weird laws that just suddenly appear, no swiss being locked out because of weird border issues, ... Most things were done by repeatly explaining why its necessary and not by enforcing it
- Very good education (for free or at least affordable) and the option for home schooling.
- Quality food is affordable. Swiss always think i am joking, but in reality the price difference between organic meat and not is less, and especially the availability is good compared to any other country i've been to. We also generally use less fertilizers than anyone in the EU
I migrated here years ago, felt unhappy and travelled a lot. Only with getting older and mostly trough the current pandemic i realized how lucky i actually am.
- We still practice small scale farming communities that are commercially feasable due to smart import taxes
- We have multiple altitudes, climate zones and languages, something for everyone.
- We have a well working society and government most people are very accepting for. Something most countries don't seem to have as seen recently.
- We are kinda well protected (good army, mountains, plenty of weapons in private homes [if that's good or not, it might be in this scenario])
- I think no country did show how it values the independent individual responsibility more than Switzerland in the recent months. No hard lockdowns, no weird laws that just suddenly appear, no swiss being locked out because of weird border issues, ... Most things were done by repeatly explaining why its necessary and not by enforcing it
- Very good education (for free or at least affordable) and the option for home schooling.
- Quality food is affordable. Swiss always think i am joking, but in reality the price difference between organic meat and not is less, and especially the availability is good compared to any other country i've been to. We also generally use less fertilizers than anyone in the EU
As long as we are not talking WW3,
Russia is hands down best place to be, it could easily stay cohesive with a lower standard of living, has been switching to internal supply chains for a decade now, has swaths of empty land and population not foreign to a concept of living off land, but most importantly it is under populated.
Low population density - check
Good defense - check
Cultural and societal background necessary for a post collapse - check
Carrying capacity of land - check
Energy (oil/atomic) - check
Nukes - check
Base of LOWER(more resilient to supply chain disruptions) tech industry - check
Benefits from climate change - check
Low population density - check
Good defense - check
Cultural and societal background necessary for a post collapse - check
Carrying capacity of land - check
Energy (oil/atomic) - check
Nukes - check
Base of LOWER(more resilient to supply chain disruptions) tech industry - check
Benefits from climate change - check
Free hectare of land in the East - check
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_on_the_Far_Eastern_Hectare
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_on_the_Far_Eastern_Hectare
Be sure to give a friendly wave when you first see your Chinese neighbors! Might be good to brush up on the language too.
In North America, anyplace that isn't a target for The Bomb. Decentralization is our friend: small towns today will be more important in the future, once large cities are done in.
In North America, anyplace that isn't a target for The Bomb. Decentralization is our friend: small towns today will be more important in the future, once large cities are done in.
Ostensibly it would mean WW3, with the potential of China and India moving north.
The best place to be is home. In an emergency situation, your own government (the one you hold the citizenship for and have cultural ties with) is the one you can rely on.
Non-citizen residents will get shafted.
Any country that is too foreign will be hard to navigate (I mean navigate the bureaucracy) in an emergency situation. And also consider, as a foreigner your ties with the locals are going to be weak so you will need to fend for yourself.
I mean, as an EU citizen who has lived in multiple EU countries, this is also true today when everything is smooth sailing.
In any emergency situation it won't take long for anti-foreign sentiments to become a cause for concern.
I mean, as an EU citizen who has lived in multiple EU countries, this is also true today when everything is smooth sailing.
In any emergency situation it won't take long for anti-foreign sentiments to become a cause for concern.
The older I get the more I appreciate the US Midwest (where I am originally from and where I live now). There are quite a few advantages in your doomsday scenario as well!
- Cooler climate, and far away from many natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. This should make the effects of warming/climate change milder.
- Plenty of fresh water
- Diverse local economy including manufacturing and agriculture
- Far away from international borders (except Canada)
- Cheap land in 2021, so easy to move to if you are already in the USA
- Cooler climate, and far away from many natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. This should make the effects of warming/climate change milder.
- Plenty of fresh water
- Diverse local economy including manufacturing and agriculture
- Far away from international borders (except Canada)
- Cheap land in 2021, so easy to move to if you are already in the USA
"Plenty of fresh water"
I think this is highly dependent on specific location and the source. Things tend to get more arid around the western half of KY and OH. The Aquifer running under much of the plains-y areas is expected to run dry in the next 30 years. Who knows how weather patterns might affect it further.
I think this is highly dependent on specific location and the source. Things tend to get more arid around the western half of KY and OH. The Aquifer running under much of the plains-y areas is expected to run dry in the next 30 years. Who knows how weather patterns might affect it further.
That's interesting and I didn't know about that! I think at least in the great lakes area things should be ok, but who knows for sure what long term changes may happen.
Yeah, I think there's enough lake effect precipitation in that general area. The area in jeopardy is further west.
https://i1.wp.com/www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/20...
https://i1.wp.com/www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/20...
North Mediterranean area, Catalonia or French Riviera. France is one of the best natural defense (alps) countries with the atomic bomb. Spain is self defended by the sea. You have The Pyrenees and The Alps as barriers. Access to water, rivers.
Social unrest is going to increase in Catalonia for sure. By 2050 maybe there are independent or maybe not.
On one hand, if Catalans are independent they will be isolated (no EU members thanks to Spain's, and maybe France's veto).
On the other hand, if Catalans are not independent, there will be protests about this, criminality, and maybe even terrorism.
If you like Spain, I would vouch for Galicia (if you like cold climate with rain) or Malaga (international city with mild climate all year).
On one hand, if Catalans are independent they will be isolated (no EU members thanks to Spain's, and maybe France's veto).
On the other hand, if Catalans are not independent, there will be protests about this, criminality, and maybe even terrorism.
If you like Spain, I would vouch for Galicia (if you like cold climate with rain) or Malaga (international city with mild climate all year).
This would have been my vote.
In 2050, there may be a Northern Hemisphere Jet Stream collapse. Everyone here is posting about how things are gonna warm up - Western Europe is going to cool down probably in a 1C or 2C warming scenario. W. Europe is further north than people think.
The Med is a great heat sink / battery and regulates the local climate. Imagine Nice in the spring, or Barcelona.
In 2050, there may be a Northern Hemisphere Jet Stream collapse. Everyone here is posting about how things are gonna warm up - Western Europe is going to cool down probably in a 1C or 2C warming scenario. W. Europe is further north than people think.
The Med is a great heat sink / battery and regulates the local climate. Imagine Nice in the spring, or Barcelona.
Probably a scandinavian country, Sweden seems like a good bet with a decent social system and well maintained infrastructure.
I wouldn't bet on Sweden in 2050, they're heading for a demographic collapse.
What makes you think so? Their projections seem to disagree: https://www.scb.se/en/finding-statistics/statistics-by-subje...
Demographic collapse refers to population structure (number of people of each age), not total population. To take an exaggerated example to show the problem: imagine one 25 year old and 10 million 80 year olds. That society is obviously going to have huge problems. Most Western populations are trending that way (obviously much less exaggerated)
Zurich, Switzerland. It is one of the best places to live now and probably still will be in 2050, I guess.
I was going to say somewhere in the mountains in Switzerland, but not the literally most busy city we have :)
What makes Zurich one of the best places to live now?
High standard of living, excellent infrastructure (transport, finance, biz, gov), very good education (ETHZ, UZH, ZHAW, etc.), surrounded by amazing nature and landscape, very open and diverse (30% foreigners, all shapes and colors), political stability (don't underestimate this when you're thinking about 2050) and solid governance by direct democracy (ZH/CH)... the list goes on and on.
To not "pollute" this comment with various links the simplest way to get a few reference points is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C3%BCrich
Of course nothing's perfect and there's always room for improvement (obviously), and Zurich is also a place with a very high "transparency of costs" so people pay for most of these benefits (less by taxes - but more by rent, cost of living, etc.) but to keep it short: Historically and with recent and future developments it seems to be a valid candidate for being a good if not best place to live in 2050...
To not "pollute" this comment with various links the simplest way to get a few reference points is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C3%BCrich
Of course nothing's perfect and there's always room for improvement (obviously), and Zurich is also a place with a very high "transparency of costs" so people pay for most of these benefits (less by taxes - but more by rent, cost of living, etc.) but to keep it short: Historically and with recent and future developments it seems to be a valid candidate for being a good if not best place to live in 2050...
Currywurst and Lindt chocolate
Not sure if that's a joke or reference i don't get but Currywurst is not Swiss (and honestly i haven't seen it here very often either) and Lindt is basically only the "cheap export stuff" you would be surprised how much better chocolate can get ;)
There is a Lindt factory in Zurich and there are plenty stands selling wurst and currywurst in Zurich
Ah, could have better argued with that. Excellent points!
And don't forget the funny cheese and nice watches ;)
Try läderach chocolate
What's the best place to live in 2050 for a black person?
Probably wherever's best for someone of any race? I don't see what this adds to the discussion.
Ideally, but if you're a real person, you know that different cultures and nations historically treat races differently.
You should probably look at some prepper forums.
Best guess is someplace remote, decent soil, good supply of water, somewhat mountainous (CO2 is heavier than O2 although probably negligible, lower temperatures higher up, better chance of rainfall if weather patterns shift and you are located between 2 bodies of water), and not too far south but also not too far north (not sure how fast ocean currents would slow and what affect that would have in each location). Probably best to find a small group of trustworthy and like minded individuals/neighbors to plan with.
Best guess is someplace remote, decent soil, good supply of water, somewhat mountainous (CO2 is heavier than O2 although probably negligible, lower temperatures higher up, better chance of rainfall if weather patterns shift and you are located between 2 bodies of water), and not too far south but also not too far north (not sure how fast ocean currents would slow and what affect that would have in each location). Probably best to find a small group of trustworthy and like minded individuals/neighbors to plan with.
Any place that have good governance as for now should be a good place to start with. You would want low crime rate, good public service, good hospitals etc. Note that I sat good _public_ *** because money can practically buy all those but I doubt everyone on HN has the money as of year 2050.
If you are anticipating climate change and societal collapse the more reason to go for a strong central government (as well as a strong standing army). There is not a lot of choices out there.
If you are anticipating climate change and societal collapse the more reason to go for a strong central government (as well as a strong standing army). There is not a lot of choices out there.
I'd say Poland, good defense capabilities, moderate climate, great, modern infrastructure, economic resilience (vis a vis 2008 financial crisis)
> good defense capabilities
Poland, as many other European countries, has terrible defense capabilities - it's basically mostly a flat plain that can be invaded without having to deal with any natural obstacles (mountains, swamps etc.). Also, there's not that many forests. Realistically, any prolonged guerilla warfare against overwhelming enemy forces (the only strategy that works in cases of big power disparity - see US vs Vietnam, US or USSR vs Afghanistan, USSR vs Finland, Germany vs Switzerland (Germans decided the attack is not worth it given how many mountains are there in Switzerland)) could be only done in the mountainous southernmost part of Poland. Other than that, we're gonna get steamrolled, like we (or France, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium etc.) did in 1939.
Poland, as many other European countries, has terrible defense capabilities - it's basically mostly a flat plain that can be invaded without having to deal with any natural obstacles (mountains, swamps etc.). Also, there's not that many forests. Realistically, any prolonged guerilla warfare against overwhelming enemy forces (the only strategy that works in cases of big power disparity - see US vs Vietnam, US or USSR vs Afghanistan, USSR vs Finland, Germany vs Switzerland (Germans decided the attack is not worth it given how many mountains are there in Switzerland)) could be only done in the mountainous southernmost part of Poland. Other than that, we're gonna get steamrolled, like we (or France, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium etc.) did in 1939.
I was talking about an army.
The army may last a couple of weeks against an Russian invasion... I wouldn't call it "good defense capabilities". Switzerland has good defense capabilities.
My go-to place in a collapse scenario has been Delta, Colorado. Good farmland, good water supply, not much surrounding society to collapse, surrounding desert and mountains form a barrier to armies or armed gangs, mountains for timber, coal nearby. You might even be able to use hydro for electricity. The downsides are oil and metals - I'm not sure either would be very accessible.
Maybe it's just me. But if societies collapsed in 2050, you really aren't going to get a choice as to where you live unless you are the 0.1%. You will most likely have to choose a place where your race fits in with the population.
For example, I seriously doubt if Asians will live happily in Russia or Poland or Europe in general if society is collapsing.
For example, I seriously doubt if Asians will live happily in Russia or Poland or Europe in general if society is collapsing.
[deleted]
In a societal collapse scenario, you probably want to live in a country with decent defence ability and enough clout to throw its weight around in international diplomacy, even if quality of life is lower than some of the smaller, better located, better governed countries. Eg. Germany over Sweden.
Due to climate change, Germany will become Spain (and Spain will become north of Africa) by 2050. So, perhaps the north of Sweden would suit better.
> Due to climate change, Germany will become Spain (and Spain will become north of Africa) by 2050.
Where do you people get that nonsense from?
Where do you people get that nonsense from?
I admit I was a bit sensationalistic. But I wouldn't call it "nonsense". Just check the way the average temperatures have changed in Southern and Northern Europe and you'll see that, indeed, they have increased. Of course, this doesn't mean anything in itself (I'm no scientist!) but hey, we are here talking about the year 2050... 100% of us have no clue of what the world will look like in that year; hence here we are, beting.
The Vancouver archipelago. Lots of land high enough to adapt to climate change, rich fisheries, access to fresh water, diverse community with less racism than most places.
There will be masses of climate refugees fleeing tropical countries and heading towards the poles. Which countries will let them in and which will push them back into the sea?
Don’t know if I will be alive at around that time but my vote is for South India. That’s where I am from(born and raised). Just want to rest where I was born.
“Considering climate change”:
Ask yourself what type of answer you’d have gotten in 1970s when the climate change fear at the time was that we’d all be freezing.
Ask yourself what type of answer you’d have gotten in 1970s when the climate change fear at the time was that we’d all be freezing.
> An enduring popular myth suggests that in the 1970s the climate science community was predicting “global cooling” and an “imminent” ice age, an observation frequently used by those who would undermine what climate scientists say today about the prospect of global warming. A review of the literature suggests that, on the contrary, greenhouse warming even then dominated scientists' thinking as being one of the most important forces shaping Earth's climate on human time scales
https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/89/9/2008bam...
https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/89/9/2008bam...
Portugal
Antartica
I'm wondering: what are expected to be the best places to live in 2050, considering climate change and the potential for impending societal collapse? What are the characteristics of such places? What should we keep in mind?
Thanks!