Tonight I received a phone call from my parents alerting me to an ABC special: a futurist environmental documentary/drama called Earth 2100. 
I’m sure they sat and watched and pondered. I bet they were shocked and amazed at some of the facts that have been a part of my reality for several years now (being an environmental scientist). Some of the more dramatic and fictitious illustrations of the futuristic storyline may have raised eyebrows and questions of probability… just as my visions of the future have done for me: visions struck from an understanding of our current reality, physical environmental systems, and of human social science.
The show was an effective combination of current facts and informed predictions by leading scientists (physical/ecological/human) and artistic renditions of the next 100 years. A mix of current footage and beautiful comic like illustrations of the future tell a serious story; one that, unfortuneately, did not reveal anything new to my mind. The timeline and story, from 2009 to 2100 goes something like:
- southwestern North America: dry
- Las Vegas gone
- World wide food shortages (already occuring 2009)
- Borders in chaos
- Mass migrations
- Lawlessness
- Pockets of hope
- Surges in technological progress
- Surges in methane release
- 9 billion people
- mass extinctions
- surges in climatic changes beyond our predictions
- pestilence across food crops
- technological capacity breached – systemic failure
- innundated coastlines
- pandemic
- massive population declines
- exodus from cities
- panic, civil wars
- nature takes over in a new climate regime
- humanity endures dark ages
“Hell is defined by truth learned too late.” E.O. Wilson.
The show ended with a new way for me to vocalize my values and vision: ”What is precious? This Earth of ours. This garden we must tend. These people we love.” This is a truth that will send masses of ignorant, self-interest driven, over-consuming, corporation fed, first world citizens burn in the hell Wilson describes… and for those of you like me… we will, without bliss, fight to change this by spreading the truth before it’s too late.
From my sphere to yours, here’s to Earth on a Platter
HB
