By Amanda Hoh

A few weeks ago, a video was broadcast around the world about a polluted dump in Lesotho, Africa. The London Sunday Times revealed the dump in the African country contained leftover waste from famous designer brands GAP and Levi Strauss, which was impacting the health of the children and families around it.

While millions of people in developed countries benefit from flashy jeans, cool dresses and T-shirts, there are many more in other places who suffer as a direct result.

However, there are also many people dreaming, exploring and building a way to a better and cleaner future.

Documentary maker, Rob van Hattum released Waste=Food in 2007. The film looks at waste and water pollution as well as the way production and consumption are slowly overtaking our natural resources. Hattum investigates a handful of global companies trying to manufacture their products in a clean and sustainable way.

Saul Griffith, an innovator in industrial design, technology and science, also has a passion for conserving the environment for the future. Griffith initiated the design of a hand-held human generator, a device that could conserve a wealth of energy by its ability to power devices such as laptops and water purifiers.

Improving our collective future is all about getting involved and voicing ideas. But how can we start making sure our future is one with clean water, less waste and fresh air?

Live Futures 2020 is a festival that is bringing people from all over world to talk about a better future world, including experts like Hattum and Griffith. You and I can also be a part of the festival and explore issues and ideas on anything, from new technologies, to health and climate change. Often the best way to get involved is to make others aware of the issues. That could be in the form of a computer game, a Post-It note, or a forum to express any projects or ideas you might have.

So what will the future hold? I’ll be at LiveFutures, hoping to find out. I’ll also be taking video of my highlights of the day which I will bring to you on 10 days of science in August.

Tags: future, futurists

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