top of page

By 2040, the air and water are clean, food is healthy, and weapons are banned.

Anonymous

April 26, 2023

By 2040, the air and water are clean, food is healthy, and weapons are banned.

This image was generated with Dream Studio AI.

In 2040, the air and water will be clean, no one will have to go hungry, no weapons will be manufactured, and all wars will be over. All people - from politicians, business representatives, researchers, and bankers to employees, children, and pensioners - are involved in a circular bioeconomy which prevents emissions that pollute the environment, harm health and cause climate deterioration.

Renewable Organic Materials derived from plants, animals, microorganisms, and their excrement are only handled in the following local systems connected to "smart grids":
• "Non-Sewage systems" with hygienic and easy-to-handle devices for collecting both food and toilet waste - that prevent emissions which are polluting air and water, and facilitating the return of plant nutrients and organic carbon compounds to cultivated land - contributes to a) carbon storage, b) increased biodiversity of soil organisms, c) increased soil water holding capacity - as well as several other factors that are positive for soil fertility, while gray water is purified locally with biological methods.
• Sustainable biological transformation methods for Renewable Organic Materials in residues and waste are used in order to utilize bioenergy and all the essential chemical elements in ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable ways.

Unsustainable thermal methods such as combustion, thermal gasification and pyrolysis of Renewable Organic Materials as well as unsustainable chemical methods are banned.

Instead of manufacturing equipment for military purposes, all resources are used for continuous improvement of equipment that reduces the over-utilization of natural resources and thus benefits the CIRCULAR BIOECONOMY.

Gray water from settlements, treated with biological methods, is reused for irrigation in urban farms and parks and farms around cities as well as for fountains and for water-games.
------------------

Background

In 2021, political decision-makers and company representatives have begun to seriously realize the transition to a knowledge-based sustainable society. It started with media pressure when journalists launched campaigns in collaboration with conscious and committed citizens.

Information was disseminated about an SBRS concept, which in short is about
• saving water
• saving the arable land
• increasing energy efficiency
• reducing costs when the environment, health and climate are positively affected.

The "SBRS concept” stands for "Sustainable Biological Recycling System" and consists of using the following innovative types of equipment to be able to use sustainable methods:
• hygienic and easy-to-use devices for collecting food and toilet waste without diluting with water
• digitized logistics for everything related to Renewable Organic Materials, that was previously handled unsustainably in waste and sewage systems
• local high-tech biogas plants to produce biogas and biofertilizers
• local biological water treatment of gray water from households
• trigeneration for the conversion of energy in biogas to electricity, heating/cooling, etc.
• upgrading of "digestate" to biofertilizers.

The basis of all life is photosynthesis. In plants, the sun's radiant energy is converted into BIOENERGY with the help of at least 16 chemical elements (S. Pettersson, 1984). Carbon (C), oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H), which make up about 96% of the plants' dry matter, come from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The other 4% that must be present for photosynthesis to work are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), boron (B), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), chlorine (Cl), zinc (Zn) and molybdenum (Mo). In later literature, a few more elements are mentioned.

When facts about basic conditions for cultivation systems became widely known, it increased our understanding of food production without consuming or destroying the fertility of the soil, i.e., its production capacity. It was noted that soil degradation continued for decades, before 2020 became characterized by insufficient recycling of the essential chemical elements and organically bound carbon back to cultivated soils.

Particular attention was paid to information from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which in May 2019 published that less than 2% of the plant nutrients are reused. It was an alarm clock that showed that 98% of plant nutrients becomes pollutants in our air and water, due to unsustainable handling of Renewable Organic Materials.

All air pollutants move around the earth, fall with the rain, and pollute water, soil, vegetation and create costs through health problems, destroyed buildings, etc. Growers were forced to buy imported mineral fertilizers, pesticides, and fossil fuels, which after the transition, that lasted until 2030, were produced in each country, and usually locally, to minimize long transports.

Both direct costs via tariffs for water and waste and indirect for environmental problems caused by using unsustainable methods and synthetic chemicals, as well as uncertain food quality and increased health problems in unhealthy working environments, were borne by the citizens, which created major protests in many countries. These resulted in the media disseminating information about ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable alternatives.

After COP26 in 2021, both politicians and business decision-makers, including legislators and banks, had to take the idea of a transition to a knowledge-based sustainable society seriously. Everyone under COP26 agreed that the most important thing is health and that it can only be achieved with measures where technological innovations, only in the absence of military purposes, prevent most emissions that pollute the environment and thus threaten health and the climate.

The main goal was to prevent costly losses of bioenergy and the essential elements of life.

In 2022, the entire arms industry began to be restructured to manufacture equipment used for conversion, instead of weapons, for the benefit of the environment and humanity.
-------------------------

In 2040, my oldest grandson will be 40 years old.

related stories

hallo
A Peaceful United Europe
I would like to live in a peaceful Europe, where Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, the UK, Kosovo, Switzerland, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro are members of the EU. While Belarus has decided with Russia of stopping wagging war against NATO or the EU, and have become truly democratic nations, while also becoming fair economic partners with the EU.
hallo
Ai
I would like to be able to study any subject I want and have my degree recognised everywhere. In the field of health, to find a cure for diabetes cancer. To have artificial skin. To have legs. Artificial hands. A better health care system for everyone. Let technology advance even further. Work for all even from home. Fairer wages. Take action on climate. Also actions to predict and protect against natural disasters. Migrants to have a better future in their host countries. May there always be Peace. Stop bullying. Greater protection by the police authorities. Stop femicide. Public transport to be better both in frequency and in the stops that exist.
hallo
viitor de vis
I would like peace, people to be better and more responsible. I don't want any more sickness. To find medicines for all suffering. Outer space to be explored and admired by all the inhabitants of the planet. Public transportation by solar-powered drones. It would be wonderful to have an advanced world where technology beautifies life
hallo
A Fragile Balance
In the year 2040, the world had transformed in ways both hopeful and uncertain. Cities now thrived as green, interconnected hubs, their skyline dotted with sleek, solar-powered vehicles that hovered above the streets. Public transport, once overcrowded and polluting, had been replaced by autonomous electric pods, moving people swiftly through airways and tunnels, reducing congestion and emissions. The once-imposing traffic jams were a thing of the past. Yet, as humanity reveled in its advancements, the Earth was also telling its story—a story of recovery and fragility. Nature, scarred by decades of climate chaos, had begun to heal, but not without difficulty. Vast forests, once endangered, were now flourishing thanks to restored ecosystems and rewilding projects. Cities had reclaimed their green spaces, integrating vertical gardens, green rooftops, and urban farms. These innovations, born out of necessity, had become a symbol of hope for the planet. But the scars of past negligence lingered. Weather patterns had become unpredictable, and natural disasters, while less frequent, still struck with unrelenting power. A warning bell echoed in the back of people's minds—how much time was left before the tipping point came? On the global level, nations had united in an unprecedented alliance, working toward a common goal: food security and environmental stability. Vertical farming, once a novel idea, had become the norm. Skyscrapers in every major city were now home to expansive farms that grew everything from grains to vegetables, using less water and land than traditional methods. The Earth’s soil had been treated with respect, and sustainable farming practices had revived once barren fields. It was a revolution in agriculture—one that seemed to promise a future free from hunger. Yet, even as the world seemed to bloom, there were whispers of concern. Some wondered whether the changes were enough. Could technology truly fix everything? Could humans repair the damage of centuries in just a few short decades? It was unclear, but what was certain was that the path forward was one of careful balance—an ongoing dance between progress and preservation. The future, both hopeful and wary, was a world of resilience, powered by innovation and a deep connection to nature. But the greatest question remained: Would humanity sustain the fragile balance they had fought so hard to build? Only time would tell.
Join #OurFutures now!

The future is shaped by our ideas and our actions today. Tell us about your visions of the future and help us create a futures narrative aimed at inspiring citizens, policy-makers and foresight experts alike!

Our-futures-banner-coloured_v3.jpg

The European Commission support does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained.

ERA_logo.jpg

We support the European Research Area aimed at creating a single, borderless market for research, innovation and technology in the EU.

©OurFutures 2025, All rights reserved.

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
bottom of page