The Futures - No. 54

Remote-work husbands / Carbon farming / Creating food from air

May 07, 2024

In this issue

The Quantumrun team shares actionable trend insights about how remote working husbands are supporting their spouses’ careers, generative agriculture taking on carbon farming, the startup producing protein from air, and the US’ massive step toward carbon-free electricity.

Future signals to watch

Finland-based Solar Foods has unveiled a pioneering method for creating a sustainable food system by producing protein from air. The company recently launched the world’s first air protein factory near Helsinki, where it will produce Solein, a nutritious yellow powder made by combining microorganisms with CO2 through a bioprocess similar to winemaking.
Tesla has created a massive EV battery recycling operation in Nevada that rivals China’s industry, processing 250,000 used batteries annually.
Major data center operators like Amazon and Google are rapidly expanding but are constrained by limited space and electricity. Vacancy rates in Europe's major markets are predicted to hit a record low of 8.2% in 2024.
MIT researchers have discovered that light can cause water to evaporate by breaking water molecules at the surface. This finding can lead to improved desalination and drying processes.
The US Army has deployed two high-energy lasers abroad to target enemy drones, a significant advancement in the military's development of directed-energy weapons.
Waymo is set to test its fully autonomous cars on Phoenix freeways, initially offering rider-only trips to employees as part of a phased deployment.
In March 2024, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) reported that a satellite mission left almost no debris in orbit by lowering a spent rocket stage to disintegrate in the atmosphere. ISRO plans to use similar techniques for future debris-free missions by the end of the decade.
The White House announced that over 95% of new electric-generating capacity planned in the US in 2024 will be zero-carbon. As reliance on natural gas decreases—with its share of new capacity dropping from 21% to 4% between 2020 and 2024—the share of new battery storage capacity has surged from 1% to 23%.

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Culturally // Trending

YouTube → Mufasa: The Lion King // X → The Lord of the Rings returns to theaters // Reddit → Microsoft’s image-to-video generator // TikTok → The Thermonator // Instagram → The Swoosh Bag // Spotify → “Fortnight”

🧑‍💼 Remote-work husbands allow women to pursue their careers

The rise of remote work has been increasingly accommodating the unique career demands of dual-income families. A notable shift is the emergence of remote-work husbands who are relocating to support their wives' careers. According to a McKinsey survey, about 38% of men now have the option to work remotely full-time, compared to 30% of women, enabling these men to support their partners' professional advancement without compromising their own careers. This trend is particularly evident in male-dominated sectors, such as technology and engineering.

This shift is upending traditional gender roles and helping to mitigate the phenomenon known as "trailing spouse syndrome"—a condition historically affecting women who relocate for their husbands’ careers, often at the cost of their own professional identity. This syndrome often results in depression and loneliness, often affecting the trailing spouse’s self-esteem and sense of purpose. The flexibility of remote work allows men to follow their spouses without quitting their jobs, fostering a more egalitarian approach to managing dual-career households.

This trend promotes greater career equity and opportunities for women, who have traditionally seen their professional ambitions sidelined. (A 2023 Deloitte global survey on working women reported that 40% of respondents prioritize their partner’s careers).

However, this shift also challenges businesses to adapt to a workforce that values flexibility and geographic independence. Industries less conducive to remote work may need to evolve or risk losing talent to more flexible sectors. Moreover, remote work could lead to significant shifts in urban planning and housing markets, as fewer families will need to cluster around major metropolitan areas for career reasons.

Actionable trend insights as remote work allows spouses to support each other’s careers:

For entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs can create a business that specializes in bespoke relocation packages for couples where one or both partners work remotely. This could include services such as scouting ideal locations that balance both partners' career opportunities, handling all aspects of the moving process, and providing localized support such as finding suitable coworking spaces, facilitating networking opportunities, or even negotiating housing that includes dedicated home office spaces.
Career counselors can provide specialized career advancement workshops aimed at couples where one or both parties work remotely. These workshops would offer strategies on managing dual careers from home, balancing work and life, and leveraging remote work for career advancement.

For corporate innovators

Companies could develop remote work hubs in various strategic locations domestically or globally. This initiative could enhance employee satisfaction and retention, allowing employees to live in optimal locations for their personal lives while still providing them with a professional, collaborative work environment.
Larger corporations could implement programs that offer career development opportunities to their employees and their spouses. This could involve offering training, scholarships, or even part-time employment opportunities to spouses who have had to relocate or who work remotely.

For public sector innovators

Local governments could introduce zoning reforms that facilitate the creation of home-office environments within residential areas. This would include permitting the conversion of parts of residential properties into office spaces, easing the process for building home extensions or conversions, and providing tax incentives for homes that are also functioning as workplaces.
State/provincial governments could initiate partnership programs with companies to provide skill development and re-skilling for spouses who relocate. These programs could focus on digital certificates, trade skills, and other educational opportunities relevant to the industries recruiting in a given locality.

Trending research reports from the World Wide Web

Netflix wants everyone to stop obsessing over their subscriber numbers and consider other growth metrics instead.
According to EY, two-thirds of jobs in the US are highly or moderately exposed to generative AI, affecting all occupations to some extent, with similar trends observed globally.
The percentage of job postings mentioning “remote/hybrid” has declined in Germany, the UK, and the US, according to Indeed.
An estimated USD $2 to $3 trillion is expected to be inherited in 2024, with wealth managers at risk of losing assets if they fail to meet the needs of female and next-generation inheritors.

🌱 Regenerative agriculture shifts to carbon farming

Carbon farming is emerging as a crucial strategy in the fight against climate change. This method involves enhancing the carbon sequestration capabilities of soil through various techniques, such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and diversified crop rotation.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, intensive agricultural practices have historically depleted soil carbon stocks by 50 to 70%, contributing significantly to atmospheric CO2 levels. Regenerative agriculture not only improves soil health and biodiversity but also transforms farms into carbon sinks, potentially reversing some of the adverse effects of industrial agriculture.

Research from organizations like the Rodale Institute suggests that if adopted globally, regenerative farming could sequester an amount of CO2 equivalent to current annual global emissions. However, experts point to numerous uncertainties, such as the variability of soil carbon storage capacity and the economic feasibility of widespread adoption of these practices. Nevertheless, the environmental benefits, such as enhanced soil water retention, nutrient cycling, and increased biodiversity, provide compelling reasons to pursue this agricultural transformation.

Another roadblock is that farmers, especially those operating on slim margins, may find the initial decrease in yields and the costs associated with changing practices daunting. Incentives, such as carbon credits and revised agricultural subsidies, are seen as essential to encourage this shift. The US Department of Agriculture, for example, is actively facilitating farmer participation in carbon markets through new programs aimed at providing technical assistance and verifying carbon sequestration claims.

Meanwhile, the first EU Carbon Farming Summit, held in Spain in March 2024, marked a significant milestone in advancing the practice of carbon farming within Europe. The summit drew over 600 participants from agriculture, science, and policy, reflecting a strong collective interest in leveraging agricultural practices for climate mitigation.

Actionable trend insights as more farmers adopt carbon farming: