The year 2040 will be a turning point in world history. Twenty years of concerted effort. As a result of these efforts, the polar icecaps have been observed to be refreezing. The Gulf Stream will continue to flow and keep the Nordic climate tolerable. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have fallen. Thanks to the combined efforts of Brazil and Asia, the rainforests have been allowed to grow and act as the lungs of the world. Alien species that have spread to new areas are returning to their original habitats. Wildfires in previous years have declined and tropical hurricanes have been fewer than in previous years. All this, now and in the years to come, has been made possible by the collective efforts of the world's peoples to build a shared world. A world that is only on loan.
The insane frenzy to increase the production of all products has stopped and only the blood of what the earth's sustainable production capacity will allow is produced. Recycling is well underway in continents and countries where recycling had not been done before. The world's oceans, rivers and waterways have recovered from the massive amounts of plastic waste that have been sown into them, thanks to advanced technology and awareness of how to do the right thing for water bodies.