At this perilously changing time in human history, Americans have put conservatives in charge of their government’s agenda. Conservatives may celebrate now, but cannot lose sight of the issues that face the world in the coming years that will benefit from progressive, forward-thinking ideas.

Jobs

The country must be creating jobs and meeting its energy demands. In order to do so, it must turn to renewable energy sources. The capacity of renewable energy, particularly solar, to create thousands of jobs is staggering. There are already successful companies like SolarCity, who have streamlined the process of buying and installing solar. The solar industry in the US has employed 35,000 more workers from 2014 to 2015, while oil and gas firms slashed nearly 17,000 US extraction jobs in 2015. The solar generation in the US only meets about 0.6% of the country’s energy demands. With a bit of liberal thinking, tens of thousands of jobs could be created and sustained for the next few decades by expanding a national transition to stable, sustainable solar energy.

Technology

In a world more connected than ever, people need a forward thinking mindset towards technology.

One of the greatest technological revolutions today is virtual reality. It is likely to be taken several steps further in the future, changing the way people are able to communicate. Facebook is already working to make a world where you can virtually meet your doctor in person by using an Oculus Rift, one of many virtual reality devices available to the public. In 15 years, anyone will be able to put on a virtual reality headset and talk face-to-face with a loved one across the Atlantic Ocean. With an open mind, the possibilities for advancement are endless. The conservative response to globalization and cultural integration – “keep it out” – will only stagger the globalized, interconnected market that the western world is poised to become.

Environment

Progressivism, the ideology that advancement is vital to the human condition, cannot be forgotten. Think about environmental concerns. The conservative mindset for some issues has laid out major problems for the world. If the nations of the world continue to pollute the planet with CO2, major port cities of the modern world will not survive to the end of the century. America’s economic prowess will not fare well when San Francisco is gutted by a combination of rising waters and intensifying storms and earthquakes.

What to do about it

In short, progressive thinking and preparedness are needed now in order to plan and adapt to a changing world; regardless of whether the change is caused by humans or not.

There are issues in the world that still require a progressive mindset to resolve. A purely conservative agenda is bound to have its shortcomings. Reserved, conservative thinking will stutter the nation’s technological progress: progress that can revolutionize society and the world.