2026-2030
The family is flocking back
A survey shows that more young people are likely to return to their home town after they finish their studies than head for the cities. The opportunities for interesting and meaningful work has reversed in recent years and many are opting to work from family bases, often supporting older members of the family. Living units are more diverse reflecting extended family and friends sharing co-housing units.
Better health with less wealth
Local public health units are benefiting from reduced workloads due to people being more healthy, resilient and enterprising in addressing their own needs. The health gardens and increased community supports are popular and having a marked effect on the general health and happiness of local people. Many people are claiming that having fewer possessions is less stressful, others consider the greater diversity of tasks in their day gives them an increased sense of achievement, others put their increased sense of well-being down to less isolation and the strong sense of community they feel.
Happiness and calm reigns on the streets
Totnes and District has quite a different ambience. There are more people on the streets and there is a general air of being busy yet conversational. The shops in the town and villages have gone through many changes and there are many new food and general hardware shops as well as repair and reuse shops. Many of the products on sale are locally produced, more utilitarian and there are generally fewer exotic and luxury goods for sale. Most businesses offer a local delivery service which is generally by bicycle. The local Nostalgia Society has commenced horse and cart street deliveries for daily bakery and dairy products, much to the delight of local small children and elders alike.
Global response to climate change
The international call to arms to implement severe carbon mitigation is met with enthusiasm by the general public. While many measures have already been undertaken, it is widely recognised that not enough is being done by the developed nations, and Ethiopia shows strong leadership again by calling for universal stringent energy rationing and carbon sequestration requirements per capita. The UK Government debates where it will plant all the trees to manage its carbon quota and enters into negotiations with other European countries to mobilise communities. We have still got too many people observes Karen Chinner age 10 from South Brent.
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