Human extinction Part 2

Continued from part 1 on how Human extinction is a possible scenario as the planets resources become depleted. Although few of us would be alive by the time the cycle end is reached, the youngest children of today would see this first hand as they near their senior years.

2040: Oil production would be 25 million barrels a day and only the most essential things are allowed to use oil based products. Nature has continued to ravage the planet with extreme conditions daily. Places that food can be grown are in the far north where once was frozen tundra is now fertile farmland. World population has dropped to 3 billion and the burden on the planet has eased however it will take thousands of years for the earth to make new fossil fuel if at all. The basic materials needed may be gone forever. Famine and natural disasters are the primary reason for population reduction.

2050: Oil production is now at 15 million barrels a day, and the cost of oil exceeds the cost of gold. Population centers have moved inland to avoid damage from storms born at sea. Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones typically have winds in excess of 200 MPH (321 KPH) and combining rising sea levels with tidal surges it has become impractical to live near the shore. Cities like New York and Miami are abandoned. The ability to move food to market becomes increasingly difficult. Families have their own gardens and farming becomes more of a way of life for the family. The global population has dropped to 2.3 billion and the available land for farming is quite ample. However as the effects of global warming continue, successful harvests of food grown outdoors has becomes a gamble at best. Huge greenhouses provide the bulk of the food.

2060: Oil production has now dropped to 10 million barrels per day. Solar power is now the norm however bad weather related to global warming has limited the ability and survivability of solar panels. The power grid resembles the internet where sources of power are decentralized. The sea level has risen 3 meters from 1990 levels claiming cities and vast areas of fertile delta farm areas. Several plant and animal species are now gone forever and our ability to fight off nature is all but gone. Insects spread unchecked as their natural predators are extinct. The insects eat and damage crops, and illness becomes more difficult to control. Global population has dropped to less than 1.7 billion.

2070: Oil production is now down to 5 million barrels a day as manpower now becomes an issue. Sea level has risen another 1.5 meters and Greenland is nearly ice free. Snow capped mountains are only found in the highest elevations of the Himalayas and in the extreme north. The global temperature has risen 5 degrees and earth is not the same place. Society has changed and most governments have fallen. The advancement of technology has slowed as both human and natural resources are increasingly hard to find. The global population starts to flatten out at 1 billion people world wide. Signs of global warming start to ease and the hope of global cooling is on everyone’s mind.

2080: Oil production is now at 3 million barrels and other natural resources like wood are now capable of supporting the dwindling human population. Global warming has peeked and is flat as nature cleanses the planet. Sea levels continue to rise and will not drop until the planet cools. It will be at least 20 to 30 years before significant reversing happens. The human infestation has been put under control and forced it to be more friendly to the planet. Life styles of 1890 are common with a few extras.

To suggest humans would become extinct goes against nature in some cases, and not in others. Species that can not adapt will become extinct. As humans we do have the ability to adapt to gradual change. However should we have to deal with sudden events like what sent the dinosaurs into extinction that becomes another issue. As we are part of nature, we must respect it. There is a saying that applies. Never bite the hand that feeds you.

More on this here from another source.


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