Nothemba is a twenty-two year old social worker from the Gugulethu Township outside Cape Town in South Africa. She and her mother live in one of six bungalows which occupy the backyard of a main house. Nothemba works in Khayelisha and usually takes a train or taxi to work. While she has never left South Africa when she was 12 she went to Johannesburg and every Christmas she visits her grandmother in Umtata in Transkei. She dreams of one day travelling to Paris to see the Eifel Tower (she saw it on a television soap opera), in the mean time she has been offered an exchange to Copenhagen through her University sponsor. Until she leaves for Copenhagen she enjoys listening to local Kwaito music, playing club hockey for the Gugulethu team and the impact her work has on the community.

After having her son, now 18 months old, Nothemba and her mother moved into a government reconstruction development plan (RDP) house in Gugulethu. Still running her HIV orphans programme, Nothemba is now a well-known, successful social worker, managing a number of overseas volunteers. She travels to other African countries to develop social work programmes, but still dreams of visiting America. She uses an expensive carbon calculator to work out optimal times to buy products, and is only too aware of the impact of carbon mis-use; she awaits her boyfriend's release from prison, serving time for a carbon-related crime.

Nothemba sees little change in the world since 2020, but global inequalities are heavily apparent. Now 10 years older she has a second child, and is still working with her business and social work interests, which are now well established. Her husband was released from prison and has cut ties with the anti-carbon restriction group he went to jail for. He has taken over Nothemba's rehabilitation programme, working with the government improving the lives of child terrorists. The underground movement is extremely powerful and has recently commenced negotiations with the government as to how they could be integrated into a power sharing deal; Nothemba worries about the future of political freedoms.

Since 2030, Nothemba's distress over the growing social inequalities has increased. Every movement that you make in this Green City is known, recorded and stored; policing actions in relation to carbon usage is widespread, even going for a beer with friends. If her 10 year old son is thirsty and drinks some water he's immediately reported to the Water Police because his inserted chip registered he's consuming more than his daily water quota. She also questions whether or not rehabilitating former eco terrorists is the right thing to do - maybe she should actually be helping them further their vision and balancing carbon inequalities? She worries her inquisitive son, like his father, might become an eco terrorist. The environment is being looked after; humans, however, are not.

Life is @ Planet 1. The question though is 'WHO's life?' The life of humans? THe life of plants? THe life of animals? In 2050, the balance of natural biophysical systems makes for a Life @ 1 Planet possible. However, it has come at a cost to humans in terms of quality of life due the hijacking of the 'climate change' agenda by multi national corporations. Inequality has been exacerbated by natural resouce conflicts and scarcities - while the capitalist system has exploited these vulnerabilities in the never ending goal of profit. Humans can enjoy Life @ one planet, if they have enough money (or 'C', as the global currency (carbon credit) is now known) or if they are amongst the elite. For the many who do not belong to the upper elchelons' of society, life may be healthy and green, but it is heavily policed, increasingly being integrated with robotic assistance and people live in fear of eco terrorist fundamentalism. In 2010 Nolathembe would never have of imagined that in 40 years time she would have a carbon calculator chip inserted in her arm and that it would calculate the 'carbon effect' of everything she consumed or any activity she performed. In 2010 Nolathembe would never have of imagined robotic harvest helpers who could now help her collect food from her urban gardens and digitally scan the food for any traces of artificial pesticides or herbicides. in 2050 Biomimicry rules all design decisions - it has even become a religion/worship in some sects of society. You can spot the members by their tattoo markings which indicate which natural organism/species they praise, in terms of the design principles that they promote. Nolathembe knows that her youngest son prays to the Namib Dessert Beetle, who's wing design optimises the collection of water, and on which most modern buildings are now based so that buildings become giant water collectors.