Amidst a prevailing narrative of global gloom, Sir Tim Smit, the visionary behind the world-renowned Eden Project, has issued a startling corrective: the world is actually in better shape today than it was at the turn of the millennium.

Speaking as the ecological attraction in Cornwall, UK, marks its 25th anniversary, Smit argues that the current deafening roar of political extremism is merely a temporary reaction to fear. His perspective offers a provocative counter-narrative for observers in Kenya and beyond who are grappling with climate anxiety and the polarization of public discourse.

The Politics of Fear

Smit, known for his outspoken and occasionally controversial views, characterized the recent surge in populist movements—specifically citing the rise of Reform UK—as a symptom of societal anxiety rather than a permanent shift. He likened the support for extreme political ideologies to a chaotic "stag night" that society will eventually regret.

“It’s like people going out for a stag night and feeling stupid the following day,” Smit observed. “You wake up full of contrition. And then you think, actually, we should do things in a more moral way. I think it’s going to become a more moral period.”

According to the co-founder, this political noise stems from a fear of losing control over the future. However, he predicted that this anxiety would dissipate once the public realizes that "good things are around the corner."

Resource Scarcity and Human Nature

Smit’s philosophy touches on a reality deeply understood in East Africa: the link between resource availability and social harmony. He challenged the nostalgic view that the past was a golden age, asserting that humanity is fundamentally benevolent but challenged by scarcity.

Key takeaways from Smit’s anniversary address include:

• The Illusion of the Past: Humans have a psychological tendency to romanticize history, ignoring that "today is pretty good and tomorrow is going to be even better."
• Tribal Instincts: Fundamentally, humans act like "tribal primates" who prefer to look after one another and enjoy laughter.
• The Trigger for Conflict: Aggression is not our default state; rather, we "only tend to be at our roughest when resources get less."

“When people see that some of that future is going to be amazing, they’ll cease to want to control it in quite the same way,” Smit concluded, suggesting that a reconnection with the natural world is driving a quiet but powerful evolution in human consciousness.