Subscribe now

Columnist and Earth

What would Earth look like in 25 years? I asked the experts

Exhausted by today's political and environmental instability, Annalee Newitz investigated what a future Earth might look like. Get ready for green mining, soft cities and robo-taxis

By Annalee Newitz

10 July 2024

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Solar power station

Yaorusheng/Getty Images

Things are just a wee bit unstable right now – environmentally and politically – so I decided to call up some experts and find out what will be happening on Earth in 25 years. Perhaps sounding a little desperate, I asked each of them what I would see if I flew over our future planet, peering down on humanity like a sentient satellite. Would it be a blasted wasteland?

Their answers were a lot weirder than I expected.

Despite everything, most nations are transitioning at least partly to sustainable energy, using periodic sources like wind, solar and…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

View introductory offers

No commitment, cancel anytime*

Offer ends 2nd of July 2024.

*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.

Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account