Seminar with Troy Vettese

The project of half-earth socialism, of which Troy Vettese is one of the proponents, is somewhere between a blueprint, a political manifesto, and a scientific utopia. There are many ingredients in his rich proposal, ranging from rewilding half the planet to a generalised switch to a tasty, accessible vegan diet, global planning of an economy inspired by socialist cybernetics, and a mass-based, heterogeneous political movement. This would pave the way for a future in which we would not only not have to struggle to survive but one that we could also enjoy, wish for, coexist in, and decide on making it.

Vettese recovers E. O. Wilson’s notion of “half-earth” with which he proposed to set aside half the planet as protected areas for nature free of human presence as a way of restoring some forms of planetary balance within a framework that would also guarantee social and political justice. On the occasion of the recent publication in Spanish of Half-Earth Socialism (Socialismo de medio planeta, Levanta Fuego, 2023), we offer this space for meeting Troy Vettese and discussing with him the possibilities for a more just and more ecologically viable future.