When people are asked how do they picture our planet in 50 years, grey images of destruction and desolation seem to be the best representation of what comes to their mind. Elena Bennett has a different idea in mind. She thinks that, in the future, we can have a more just, more prosperous, and more biologically diverse planet than the one we are living in today.

Together with other scientists, Elena has identified “seeds of good Anthropocene”, that is, the actions that are visible today and that are starting to change the course of history in a positive way. They exist. And if we want to build a better planet, we need to start looking for positive stories about the future, even if they are hard to find. It’s like driving a car: if you have a certain image in your mind, you will steer your car towards that image. If it’s a bad image, you are likely to get a bad result. At the end, it’s our choice.