EVERYTHING IS CHANGING

It was with some amazement I read a story by Bloomberg that a few super rich Silicon Valley entrepreneurs were buying multimillion-dollar 150-tonne survival bunkers. And sending them down to New Zealand. And burying them underground. Then, at the first sign of an apocalypse they can jump on a private plane and head to our relatively safe shores.

Really? It sounds totally overlydramatic even if, like me, you are a big fan of The Walking Dead. But I guess in today's world you have to assume anything is possible and what might have seemed impossible and far-fetched 10 years ago is happening all around us.

I am guessing too that these very clever billionaires will also be applying their vast talents to look at ways to ensure nuclear war; killer germs or an uprising against the super-rich won't actually happen.

While it wasn't mentioned in the story I saw online, I'd think climate change and the myriad of natural disasters we are witnessing at the moment, would pose a greater threat than anything else. And working on our lead story this month only confirmed that feeling. As commentators noted the climate is always changing and has been throughout the centuries. But what is new is that the pace and scale of climate change is becoming greater and we are seeing it playing out in real time. See page 6.

This issue we also delve into ageism in the workplace. It's also real and as our population ages, it is something leaders need to be thinking about and addressing. It's also horrifying to learn that in some instances, 50 plus is considered “aged”. But as the article asks: How often does your recruitment company pass on CVs of applicants aged 50 plus? Or when did you last employ someone older than you? See page 14.

Have a good month.