Well folks, the verdict is in: A few decades from now, the Innuits will be getting food stamps and the Polar Bears will be hip deep in mud. Global climate change, whether human-caused, or part of a natural cycle, will result in flooding of coastal zones worldwide, and cause a number of Pacific island nations to be submerged in rising seas. In the Atlantic, the Gulf Stream that warms Europe and the higher latitudes of North America, will slow, and perhaps stop, resulting in a new regional climate that may be colder for a while.
Because mankind, from time immemorial, has lived on the margins of the sea (even today, more than 80% of us do so), vast displacements of humanity will occur as the coastlines flood, and countries such as Bangladesh may disappear entirely. The suffering will be immense, and internecine warfare between the migrants and established inlanders will hamper any organized effort for relocation of those so displaced. People not killed in riots or disorganized warfare will likely starve to death. The end of ‘The Age of Oil’ will only exacerbate the situation, and governments will be helpless to deal with the situation in a rational manner. Conflicts such as Militant Islam vs. the Christians will be quaint and miniscule compared to the social disorder that will set in when the glaciers melt.
What can be done to deal with the horrors of this scenario? Well, a great deal, actually. But first, we must get the Politicos to abandon such ‘important’ issues as Abortion, Intelligent Design, and the reorganization of the U.N. The world’s governments must focus on this impending disaster immediately, and arrive at a consensus for a course of action.
In the meantime, I have a few ideas.
Assuming the forecasted two or three degree rise in global temperatures does not trigger a massive release of Methane Hydrates from the planet’s oceans (this apparently happened about 500 million years ago, resulting in the extinction of 90% of the world’s species), We should consider relocating the displaced populations underground. Before you bust a gut laughing, think about this:
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Most of human history was spent underground in caves, and even today, our surface dwellings emulate our caveman habitat.
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The bulk of arable land has been paved over or is already subject to intensive industrial agriculture.
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The people of most developed countries mourn the loss of natural wonders and wilderness areas that used to exist prior to the proliferation of the ‘concrete jungles’ we call cities.
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The technologies exist to make such massive underground dwellings visually appealing, clean, and hospitable.
How is this possible?
Imagine an elevator that could whisk you to the surface anytime you wanted to enjoy nature and wildlife, farm for food in cooperatives, or simply bask in sunshine.
Imagine lighting in these underground structures that provides a sun-like spectral output, and huge LCD screens everywhere, that piped in images from the world above.
Imagine a rational layout of dwellings, shops, hospitals and industrial sites such that would allow easy access without the use of motor vehicles, and underground parks that had trees and streams fed by pure water.
All of the above are achievable using existing technology. Power would be available from tapping the geothermal heat of mother earth, or from reactors located a safe distance away, again, underground.
Because 98% of the world’s wealth is concentrated in the hands of two percent of the population, the rich must belly up to the bar, and forego their yachts and homes in the country for the benefit of all. Only they can actually change things quickly enough; waiting on a popular consensus to evolve and conducting a vote will lead to disaster. And what is the payback for them? Well, I’m not suggesting some sort of sinister ‘Illuminati’.
Consider:
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Self-contained habitats such as described above are directly translatable to habitats on the Moon, Mars, the asteroid belt, or orbital space ‘cities’ that might roam the Solar system.
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By putting the world’s unemployed to work constructing underground cities, the civil wars that destroy wealth would be avoided. The capital would flow back to them. It always does. Industrial expansion into outer space would be tested on earth, problems identified and solved, and economic models developed. The vast resources of the Solar system would be exploitable FOR A PROFIT.
It can be done, and if we act quickly to promote a unified will to do so, the earth can largely be restored to its pre-industrial state, habitats for endangered species reestablished, and best of all, vast expanses of wilderness developed that will nurture the human spirit, and reinvigorate our sense of adventure. In addition, we will have refuge from the storm, should conditions on the surface continue to deteriorate.
