What is the most important engineering problem of our future?

[Swampdude]

Slightly off topic but, my opinion is based on a U.S perspective and Engineering in general.

I have a real concern that America is incapable of competing with foreign markets in goods and services. The cost of production in the US prohibits innovation. When pricing drives you into the global market, you take away most aspects of engineering opportunities as well. Over time that erodes a sector of capability and leaves us again looking elsewhere.

Not to make this a political matter but there are many reasons why we've come to this point. There are also many ways to change this situation. But I believe we've created a monster and it's only going to get much worse before it gets better. We cannot sustain an entirely service based economy for long. If FIRST succeeds in increasing the amount of interest and patronage of engineering in the U.S., that can definitely help matters. Although if the opportunities for them diminish as they come into an empty market, the purpose would be partly lost.

Until countries like China and India get a higher standard of living, and the people demand better social services etc. their production will not incur the cost of infrastructure. While here in the U.S. that snowball is rolling 100mph down a long hill. This may be more a matter for economists but it directly affects the life span of the American Engineer.

Solve that problem and then we can move on to the bigger ones, otherwise only the lawyers will be left to figure it all out