Discussions about the world and the environment usually focus on the bad stuff. I want to change that by looking at things in a more hopeful way. Below, I’ve described what the future could look like, based on real trends I found online.
“It’s the year 2100. The global population has now reached nine billion. The size of the human population has peaked in the last century and is beginning to decline. Moreover, a shift is occurring worldwide. People are moving from ego to eco, and well-being has become more important than wealth.
Violence is at its lowest point ever in history, and most countries around the world are democratic, characterized by the rule of law. Economic and political freedom is increasing. A historic number of people have been freed from poverty, insecurity, and scarcity over the past century.
A large portion of the population lives or works in cities. In these cities, there is a sufficient supply of quality education and healthcare. Parking lots have been replaced by parks, and the streets are filled with electric, self-driving cars. Traffic jams have been solved by autonomous vehicles for decades, and with the advent of global vacuum trains, travel is faster and cheaper than ever.
Surrounding the cities are large farms encircled by technologically advanced fields where drones are spraying nutritious genetically modified crops. Far beyond the city, the outlines of a nuclear power plant and dozens of windmills are visible. Beyond the green meadows begins the real nature, which once again covers the majority of the planet. Biodiversity has returned to its 1900 levels.
Former developing countries are flourishing. The economic power between the West and the East is balancing, and the continents of Africa and Asia have become global leaders in technology, entrepreneurship, and climate policy. People worldwide enjoy a basic income, and robots have taken over boring, complicated, and dangerous work. Most people have a highly educated job that primarily requires the human creative spirit. Overall, people worldwide are happier than they have ever been.”
Does it sound too good to be true? If we evolve wisely, this is realistic. Besides thinking about the future, I also find it enjoyable to imagine future scenarios (read more at Why Do I Delve Into Possible Futures). The chance for the world to become greener and more prosperous exists, but we all need to contribute. Hopefully, this scenario has at least shown you that the future does not have to be bleak. See you next time on my blog. 🙂
