There aren’t many subjects on which I prefer Harry S Truman’s words to those of Oscar Wilde. But the former US president’s prosaic definitions – “a pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities, while an optimist makes opportunities of his difficulties” seem more helpful in these crunch times than the poet’s cry, “the basis of optimism is pure terror”.

Much of this issue of Green Futures focuses on that gloomiest of topics, economic recession. But you’ll note a recurring strain of optimism (Truman style) in the analysis of what a worsening crisis might open up for the sustainability agenda. Martin Wright has canvassed the views and expectations of a wide range of ‘thinkers and doers’ for our cover feature ‘Into the red, out with the green’. None of them could be accused of ‘blind optimism’ – their attitudes are based on evidence, backed by well reasoned argument. All of them consider the balance of threats and opportunities, while looking for a path forward rather than a place to hide.

This positive spirit does not lead everyone to the same conclusions. Indeed, optimism is one of the few common ingredients in such radically divergent perspectives as Lester Brown’s conviction that a great leap forward for cleantech means coal is dead in America, and Yorkshire Forward’s aim of boosting regional revival by investing big-time in carbon capture and storage. You couldn’t accuse Green Futures of closing its mind to debate.

Nor is this magazine all about recession. Far from it. In fact, it’s full of people and the many and varied things that matter to them – from the Archbishop of Canterbury to the founder of Passion for the Planet and that enigmatically named train travel guru, the Man in Seat 61. There are serious pieces on tough policy issues too, in our regular Whitehall Watch, and Rebecca Willis’s critique of shadow carbon pricing. Not to mention a full dose of solutions-focused news in the Briefings section – and much else besides.

If all this prompts you to action, or reflection, or just helps boost your level of creative optimism, then Green Futures will be worth the (carefully chosen) paper it’s printed on. Don’t forget that there will be more news, views and features on our regularly updated website to keep you going over the summer until you next see us back in print again. And remember, too, that we value your feedback and your contributions to the debate – by letter, email, or (easiest of all?) by adding your comments to what you read online.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Roger East
roger@greenfutures.org.uk