Words: Michel Cruz

If we look back across history it tells us a tale of war and destruction; empires built on blood, neighbouring tribes and states at war over land and spoils, religious and racial intolerance leading to conflict and decimation – all vestiges of a never-ending spiral of aggression, violence and abuse. Though ours is a beautiful blue-green haven in the universe it offers enough challenges in the form of famine, epidemics and natural disasters, as well as the everyday trials and tribulations of human life, but the maniacal greed and ambition of states, zealots and ultimately men in power has more than overshadowed natural issues to often turn a would-be paradise into hell. Read the rest of this entry »

Among the many creatures that have lived on this planet, humans are unique in that they not only tamed the wild and created large urban societies, but increasingly we are having an impact on the very fabric of the earth itself – and it’s not always for the better.

Words: Michel Cruz

When it comes to the ‘human planet’ we hear all sorts of things, many of them foreboding and some even seemingly contradictory – like there is too little space, too much development, that the population is exploding and the natural environment slowly dying, but also that the population is greying, that we’re not having enough children to replace ourselves. We consume and pollute too much, we are/are not contributing to global warming, that there is no global warming, that we will all have to work to 70 and beyond yet artificial intelligence will take our jobs away. We’re depleting the earth’s resources, that there will be land and water wars to replace today’s oil wars, that there is unemployment yet the labour force is shrinking. More immigration means economic growth but also more unemployment, and occasionally even that decades of overpopulation and over-exploitation have taken us to the cusp of a demographic collapse brought on by environmental decay and epidemics. Read the rest of this entry »

In an age when we desperately need visionaries to lead the way, Elon Musk is a multidisciplinary engineer, inventor, entrepreneur and futurist with the drive to do what today’s politicians can’t – change the world for the better.

Words: Michel Cruz

There have always been visionaries and inventors, from Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo to Jules Verne, but more than anyone else today South African-born Elon Musk is the renaissance man of the hour. This is an era where we look in vain to our leaders for answers to the pressing environmental, social and economic issues that beset humanity. Decade upon decade, there is no change, no action and no transparency. We seem to be locked in an ever-increasing spiral of uncontrolled technology development that has the potential to disrupt our economic system and the fabric of society. Global warming, population growth, pollution, growing disparity in wealth and the rise of artifiial intelligence are the spectres that stare us in the face, yet they are barely addressed by those in power. Read the rest of this entry »

The Dutch are among the most notable expats living on the Costa del Sol. Through their organisations, businesses and investments they form part of and contribute greatly to the cosmopolitan community that is Marbella.

Words: Michel Cruz

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You may not be aware of it but there are Dutch brands around you all the time. The familiar, multinational names behind them are the icons of Dutch industry and testament to this trading nations’ commercial tradition.

Words: Michel Cruz

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