The NY Times published an OP-Ed by Jason Mark that reviews recent Hollywood movies (think of Interstellar, Elsyium, Waterworld!) about the end of the world.
A direct quote:
"Perhaps the best of this bunch is “Snowpiercer,” the Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s fable about social injustice and environmental hubris. Released earlier this year, “Snowpiercer” imagines that civilization — in a botched attempt to reverse the effects of global warming via atmospheric geoengineering — has turned Earth into something like the ice world of Hoth from “Star Wars.”
The survivors are stuck on a train that rattles in an endless circle around the planet. The folks in first class get spa treatments and dance parties, while the proletariat in the caboose have to choke down protein bars made of ground-up bugs. Inevitably, the underclass revolts."
Is this your children's future?
I don't think so. On Planet Earth, there is competition; between individuals, between firms and between cities. This competition takes place through markets (not the battlefield) and the net effect is a type of safety net for all. I am especially confident about this prediction for urbanites in nations with many cities to choose from. The system of cities is both a simple idea and a powerful idea (although it doesn't have the potential to lead to a good movie). In my humble opinion, my "Climate Change Adaptation: Lessons from Urban Economics" offers a clearer vision of our medium term future.