Based on current population growth statistics, there will be an estimated 8.3 billion people on Earth by 2030. To sustain this growth, the world will need to produce 50% more energy, 40% more water, and 35% more food. Businesses that refuse to deal with the issue will alienate people and are destined for extinction, while creative thinkers are working on solutions. Examples: A California company is working on turning water moisture into drinking water, and in Israel, most potable water comes through desalinization.

Demographic shifts. The global population is seeing unprecedented shifts in race and age. Based on current birth rates, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that whites will become a minority in the U.S. by 2043. And in a few years, the U.S. population will have roughly the same amount of people over age 70 and under age 5—something that's also never happened before, Ryan says. At least 45 countries are experiencing population declines, with the other 60% flat or increasing. There are currently about 350 million people globally over age 70; in 10 years, this figure will rise to 1 billion.

Accelerating urbanization. As part of changing demographics, more people around the world are moving to urban areas. In 2008, 50% of the planet's population lived in cities. This number will swell to more than 72% by 2050, in a migration that Ryan calls "the biggest drama this world has ever seen."

Shift in global economic power. The U.S. will no longer be the economic powerhouse that has defined the country since the post-World War II days. This change is "inevitable" based on the hothouse growth of emerging markets, Ryan says. In 30 years, the GDP of these emerging markets of the E7 countries (China, India, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey) will be double that of the shrinking G7 countries (U.S., Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada).

However, although the relevancy of the U.S. will change, we can build on our current strengths: the best university/college system in the world, and America's success at innovation (the number of patents filed in the U.S. rival the rest of the world).

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