From the Aspen Environment Forum to TED, futurist Jamais Cascio is one of the most sought-after speakers in the world today. And with good reason. His talks and writings on the future of the planet allow us to peer into the crystal ball and experience a world that “might be” in the decades ahead. Ensia caught up with Cascio to get his thoughts on our changing planet, the future of energy and, yes, jet packs.

Cascio was the featured speaker at Ensia Live on March 14, 2013.

This interview originally appeared in the Fall 2012 issue of Momentum magazine, Ensia’s predecessor.