Final presentation, group 1. Counting Backwards Workshop, 24–25 Nov 2011 / the Helsinki meeting of 60 experts in SPREAD Sustainable Lifestyles 2050. www.sustainable-lifestyles.eu & www.sustainable-lifestyles.eu/community

1. Empathic Communities

3. How did empathy evolve?
2015
- realization: relationships can be formed into local
networks using endemic technology (social media
and evolving innovations)
Education & research on empathy, well-being and
happiness
New indicators for well-being and happiness, local
consultation on non-material values

4. Starting in 2015...
Resource crisis make resources more expensive
and rare which leads to more car sharing / pooling,
energy efficiency, start of resource metering, ....
- community toolkits go online: scalable structures
available to suit different neighbourhoods
- distribution of resources becomes more
efficient, swapping systems and time banks
evolve
- house-owners of certain areas pool together to
buy energy and negociate better deals on energy-
efficiency renovations
Food prices increase, leading to urban farming
More small-scale distributed production, start of
the development of organic locally grown materials
Non-governmental communal services
Topics voted before members of parliament are
chosen (start of goal-oriented government)
Voting age is lowered

5. Citizen of 2015
Pia, 22: Decided to spend my weekend at the doing
to a lecture about empathic lifestyles. I have heard
a lot about the 'empathic movement', just don't
know how to make it practical for my own life.

6. 6

7. And then what?
2025 Capitalism collapses
. Development of local currencies and
time banks etc. that fill the gap
Local mayors gain power
Education much more applied and linked
to nature (urban farming, resources
energy, water us and production,...)
Zero-energy standard for new houses
Production collapses, less environmental
impact, heavy resource savings
Meat and dairy ratios

8. Citizens of 2025
. Barbara, 33: Spent the afternoon in park letting
Jake and Shiloh play with the stray dogs.
Secretly, I was looking for fruit or vegetables in
the ground, because it's hard to find fresh food
for a low price these days.
Nene-Briana, 42: No sign of improvement in my legs,
and the pain is pretty intense. The accident with
the zipline was pretty severe, and maybe I won't be
able to walk again. But it's nice with the amount of
support I have - three community nurses each day,
all day. None of them knows so much about my
injuries, and no-one has any medicine. But they are
all very empathic.

9. 2050 Empathy goes global
• Empathy is rewarded, games
• Public spending is used for services such as
health care, higher education and public spaces.
Other services are dealt with by the communities
themselves. Question: how are taxes paid?
• Sustainability office takes care of respect of
system boundaries and city planning, following
the standards of the United Micronations
• Developing countries still trade essential products
with Europeans.
• Zero energy housing standards for all buildings,
taking local resources into consideration
• Local climate conditions dictate food production
• More interconnected levels of societal
organisation

10. Citizens of 2050
• Hermann, 79: Went to the skills exchange and
looked through the task requests. Found the
same boy - Jonas, 12 - from last week! We agreed
we would try the baking together (like we have
tried painting before) since it seemed like fun,
and we both feel very 'empathic' towards cakes …
• Juha, 55: Been nominated as the representative
to Global Municipal Trade Council. Have to
discuss steel supply - we have responsibility to
produce food for many villages round here, but
none of us have our own iron ore. So we need lots
and now we need more. Maybe we can offer more
wool? Travelling by horse to the harbour, then
sailing as usual. Roundtrip from Birmingham to
Munich, three weeks.

11. 1. Imagine a situation at the queue to the stadium at
the first World Cup for Sustainable Footballing
Municipalities in 2031?
Who are attending the match with you?
What are the current topics people discuss about?
How did you get to the stadium?
2. Imagine a situation in 2048 in which you’re in a
serious flu?
How does your community help you?
Who are there with you?
Where are you staying at?
How did you get the flu?