’n Belangrike demografiese gebeurtenis is onderweg. En dit mag wees dat die oorsteek van die 50% verstedelikingspunt ’n ekonomiese keerpunt is. Die wêreld is nou ’n kaart van verbinding.
Basically, there's a major demographic event going on. And it may be that passing the 50 percent urban point is an economic tipping point. So the world now is a map of connectivity.
In die verlede was Parys, London en New York die grootste stede. Ons beleef nou die einde van die Weste se opkoms. Dis verby. Die totale aantal is oorweldigend. So wat gebeur nou eintlik? Die wêreld se dorpies is besig om leeg te loop.
It used to be that Paris and London and New York were the largest cities. What we have now is the end of the rise of the West. That's over. The aggregate numbers are overwhelming. So what's really going on? Well, villages of the world are emptying out.
Die vraag is, waarom? Hier is die onromantiese waarheid -- die stadslug maak jou vry, het hulle in Renaissance Duitsland gesê. Sommige mense gaan dus na plekke soos Shanghai, maar meeste gaan na plakkerstede, waar estetika regeer. Hierdie is nie werklik mense wat onderdruk is deur armoede nie. Dis mense wat armoede ontvlug so vinnig as wat hulle kan. Hulle is hoofsaaklik die bouers en tot ’n groot mate die ontwerpers. Hulle't tuisgemaakte infrastruktuur en lewendige stadslewens.
The question is, why? And here's the unromantic truth -- and the city air makes you free, they said in Renaissance Germany. So some people go to places like Shanghai but most go to the squatter cities where aesthetics rule. And these are not really a people oppressed by poverty. They're people getting out of poverty as fast as they can. They're the dominant builders and to a large extent, the dominant designers. They have home-brewed infrastructure and vibrant urban life.
Een sesde van Indië se GNP kom uit Moembaai. Daar word konstant opgradeer en in ’n paar gevalle help die regering. Opvoeding is die hoof ding wat in stede kan geskied. Wat gebeur op die strate van Moembaai? Al Gore weet. Dis basies alles. Daar's geen werkloosheid in plakkerstede nie. Almal werk. Een sesde van die mensdom is daar. Binnekort meer.
One-sixth of the GDP in India is coming out of Mumbai. They are constantly upgrading, and in a few cases, the government helps. Education is the main event that can happen in cities. What's going on in the street in Mumbai? Al Gore knows. It's basically everything. There's no unemployment in squatter cities. Everyone works. One-sixth of humanity is there. It's soon going to be more than that.
Hier is die eerste gevolgtrekking: Stede het die bevolkingsaanwasbom ontlont.
So here's the first punch line: cities have defused the population bomb.
En die tweede gevolgtrekking: Dis die nuus uit die onderdorp. Hier is dit in perspektief. Sterre skyn al biljoene jare op die aarde neer. Nou skyn ons terug!
And here's the second punch line. That's the news from downtown. Here it is in perspective. Stars have shined down on earth's life for billions of years. Now we're shining right back up.
Dankie.
Thank you.