A vision of 2050

A poem written by Mark George, Dublin Friend of the Earth committee member

 

A vision of 2050

 

A vision of 2050,

What will life be like?

If I’m still able to cycle,

It will be on an electric bike.

 

Cycle paths are connected,

With their own traffic lights,

If feels safe to whiz along,

Or stop and take in the sights.

 

Everything is electric,

Made by wind and solar power,

Fossil fuels are kept in the ground,

They (finally) have had their hour.

 

New houses are mostly timber framed,

Close to the centre of towns,

Most people walk or bike or use

The park and ride to get around.

 

Gone are millions of driveways,

Replaced with nature havens,

Small patches of wildness, reclaimed,

For bees, butterflies, and ravens.

 

The lynx is back in Ireland,

Native forests coming back to health,

We are reconnected to nature,

With improved mental health.

 

Economies are more Doughnut shaped,

Much more Circular by design,

Billionaires are a thing of the past,

They have been forced to resign.

 

Products are now built to last,

A booming repair economy exists,

Communities share use of tools and things -

No longer on their shopping lists.

 

It is too hot in places in summer,

We must shelter under the trees,

That we planted in their millions,

Since the late 2020’s.

 

But the tide has turned and CO2,

Is (finally) becoming stable,

A brighter future for the next generation,

Is now on the table.

 

We see ourselves as Global Citizens,

We are all part of “us”,

Regardless of origin, North or South,

Straight or LGBT+.

 

A lot more is community-led,

From micro-grids to land use,

The Global South is no longer tied,

To Colonialist abuse.

 

If you like this vision of the future,

Put pressure on politicians, companies and banks,

From future generations you might just hear,

The echoing of their thanks.

 

Mark George, August 2025.

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