[The Start Of It All! The Catastrophic Degradation of Earth]
-December 2030, Tokyo, Japan-
Oda Masabei strolled back to his car. The lecture hadn't gone how he'd wanted - No-one wanted to hear about how Earth was actually alive and could make decisions regarding its own survival. No-one wanted to know that humans were burning through resources too quickly. No-one wanted to hear about the lack of comida in half of the world's countries. And no-one certainly wanted to know about the mass extinction of organisms on Earth and the degrading natural environment. No, people were content in their blissful ignorance. But it would change, at least, when Earth decided to do something about it and rebel against the tenants that were causing it so much harm.
He began to drive back home, knowing that his 6 ano old son would have been back from school over two hours atrás and his wife would be making takoyaki, or yakisoba. He wouldn't miss any of her cooking, because was one of the most fabulous cooks he had ever met. Then he married her.
Above him, while he was driving, a lightning storm had begun and a strike of lightning flashed in the sky. Oda thought nothing of this and continued to drive, also ignoring the sudden stream of hailstones clattering against his windshield. All of a sudden, a massive gust of wind caught his car and seemed to almost force him off the road. He slowed down and came to a halt, noticing that other cars were starting to do the same, and that there was a massive line of cars, starting about two hundred meters ahead of him and stretching the whole visible length of the motorway.
'Hey!' Oda yelled to the man nearest him, as he jumped out of his car and began to walk to the one just ahead of him.
The man just stared at him, a look of fear in his eyes, as he looked at something above. Oda suddenly realised just how strong the wind was and had to dive against the car, pulling the other man with him. They landed seguinte to it.
'I don't know what's going on! Those hailstones were massive and the wind is too strong to drive. If it hails again, we could be knocked out!'
Oda nodded grudgingly and beckoned for the man to jump in his car. The man did so and Oda hopped in seguinte to him, drawing comfort in having someone else to experience this with. It was quite clear that this was a result of nature's handiwork and the response to mankind's way of treating the planet.
'It's okay... We'll be alright, let's just sit this out until it's over.'
-April 2038, Auckland, New Zealand-
'And, as a result, animais directly respond to the environment as a means of adaptation and ecological success. My research has shown a major correlation between the healthy success of animals, and their ecosystems, with the natural environment. Of course, one might think that this would be obvious, but the implications are rarely ever spoken of - For instance, we know of this and ecologists tend to write about it and study it in the field, but the everyday person never considers this... I think it is important for the everyday person to know about how the endemic species in New Zealand survive and what their relationship to the environment is. Otherwise, how else we will continue to be the 'clean, green country'?'
The students clapped, in response to David's lecture. A few of them raised their hands. David pointed at one of them, beckoning for the young man to ask his question.
'Professor, you say that the everyday person needs to know about this, but why? Your reasons aren't sound enough to convince me that this should be learned outside of university, or the education system.'
David sighed, students were getting tougher and tougher to answer lately. 'Honestly, I don't think you are thinking at the right level. While it is true that an everyday person shouldn't need to know about ecology, as it is a specialised field of biology, it is important for the everyday person to be aware of the natural environment around us, which is affected por humans and also affects, and is affected by, animals. That's why it is important, because people need to understand that the natural environment is something to take care of and that everyone needs to contribute.'
'So you fully advocate the protection of the environment, too, professor?' Another student yelled out.
'Yes, I do. I also recommend that others start doing so, too. Otherwise we may not have a planet left to live on. If none of you have heard, there has been an issue regarding food, lately. African countries, China and India always have had a incredible lack of food, but even other countries, formerly second-world ones, are beginning to have the same problem. Soon, it will become a widespread issue, maybe even affecting some of the first-world countries. Also, the amazonas, amazon, amazônia rainforest has been completely cleared of trees and forest is now a rare resource, hence why other countries have been anxious to obtain wood from New Zealand. Even mais concerning, however, is the change in weather patterns over the last ten years. Dr Foreman, from the Meteorology department is a friend of mine and he told me some interesting news the other day: weather patterns are getting mais and mais violent and chaotic, and lows are starting to appear mais frequently and much worse than any that we saw throughout the early years of the 21st century. Also, you'll probably have noticed yourselves the lack of seasonal change - This is very concerning.'
He answered the rest of the questions, then packed up, closed up the lecture hall and left for his office. He walked through the campus, nodding to a couple of the other professors he knew, until he reached his office. He stacked his papers, packed them into his pasta, maleta and grabbed his jacket, along with several other knick-knacks he thought he might need and then headed to his car.
At the car-park, he noticed a southerly front was coming in, so he quickly unlocked the car and jumped into the driver's seat.
-August 2046, All Over The World-
All over the world the earthquakes were felt. Some thought they were just coincidental, but others were rightfully frightened. Some countries had been wiped out por a lack of comida and millions upon millions of people had died from starvation, throughout the poorer countries. In fact, the figure had probably just hit in the hundreds of millions. The earthquakes just devastated an already degraded world - one that had been abused so terribly, that the people living on it were now being affected, too. Following the first earthquake, which was measured to be on a Magnitude of 9.7 and one of the largest ever felt, another promptly erupted and this tipped the scales at a whopping over 10 Magnitude. Ridiculously, these earthquakes had been felt all over the world, a clash of all of the known tectonic plates. It was estimated that over 300 million people died from these two earthquakes and their aftershocks alone. In some countries, massive tsunamis were experienced, which further accentuated the loss of life and caused widespread coastal damage. From that dia (17th August 2046) onwards, the weather had completely changed, seeming to be the same almost everywhere and seasonal change no longer existed. It either rained, or didn't. It was either hot or cold. Sometimes it was a dry heat and sometimes it was humid. It could change in the o espaço of two hours sometimes and no-one was seguro from it. Life as we knew it was over - A strange darkness had taken over the Earth and humans seemed to be unable to survive anymore.
-December 2030, Tokyo, Japan-
Oda Masabei strolled back to his car. The lecture hadn't gone how he'd wanted - No-one wanted to hear about how Earth was actually alive and could make decisions regarding its own survival. No-one wanted to know that humans were burning through resources too quickly. No-one wanted to hear about the lack of comida in half of the world's countries. And no-one certainly wanted to know about the mass extinction of organisms on Earth and the degrading natural environment. No, people were content in their blissful ignorance. But it would change, at least, when Earth decided to do something about it and rebel against the tenants that were causing it so much harm.
He began to drive back home, knowing that his 6 ano old son would have been back from school over two hours atrás and his wife would be making takoyaki, or yakisoba. He wouldn't miss any of her cooking, because was one of the most fabulous cooks he had ever met. Then he married her.
Above him, while he was driving, a lightning storm had begun and a strike of lightning flashed in the sky. Oda thought nothing of this and continued to drive, also ignoring the sudden stream of hailstones clattering against his windshield. All of a sudden, a massive gust of wind caught his car and seemed to almost force him off the road. He slowed down and came to a halt, noticing that other cars were starting to do the same, and that there was a massive line of cars, starting about two hundred meters ahead of him and stretching the whole visible length of the motorway.
'Hey!' Oda yelled to the man nearest him, as he jumped out of his car and began to walk to the one just ahead of him.
The man just stared at him, a look of fear in his eyes, as he looked at something above. Oda suddenly realised just how strong the wind was and had to dive against the car, pulling the other man with him. They landed seguinte to it.
'I don't know what's going on! Those hailstones were massive and the wind is too strong to drive. If it hails again, we could be knocked out!'
Oda nodded grudgingly and beckoned for the man to jump in his car. The man did so and Oda hopped in seguinte to him, drawing comfort in having someone else to experience this with. It was quite clear that this was a result of nature's handiwork and the response to mankind's way of treating the planet.
'It's okay... We'll be alright, let's just sit this out until it's over.'
-April 2038, Auckland, New Zealand-
'And, as a result, animais directly respond to the environment as a means of adaptation and ecological success. My research has shown a major correlation between the healthy success of animals, and their ecosystems, with the natural environment. Of course, one might think that this would be obvious, but the implications are rarely ever spoken of - For instance, we know of this and ecologists tend to write about it and study it in the field, but the everyday person never considers this... I think it is important for the everyday person to know about how the endemic species in New Zealand survive and what their relationship to the environment is. Otherwise, how else we will continue to be the 'clean, green country'?'
The students clapped, in response to David's lecture. A few of them raised their hands. David pointed at one of them, beckoning for the young man to ask his question.
'Professor, you say that the everyday person needs to know about this, but why? Your reasons aren't sound enough to convince me that this should be learned outside of university, or the education system.'
David sighed, students were getting tougher and tougher to answer lately. 'Honestly, I don't think you are thinking at the right level. While it is true that an everyday person shouldn't need to know about ecology, as it is a specialised field of biology, it is important for the everyday person to be aware of the natural environment around us, which is affected por humans and also affects, and is affected by, animals. That's why it is important, because people need to understand that the natural environment is something to take care of and that everyone needs to contribute.'
'So you fully advocate the protection of the environment, too, professor?' Another student yelled out.
'Yes, I do. I also recommend that others start doing so, too. Otherwise we may not have a planet left to live on. If none of you have heard, there has been an issue regarding food, lately. African countries, China and India always have had a incredible lack of food, but even other countries, formerly second-world ones, are beginning to have the same problem. Soon, it will become a widespread issue, maybe even affecting some of the first-world countries. Also, the amazonas, amazon, amazônia rainforest has been completely cleared of trees and forest is now a rare resource, hence why other countries have been anxious to obtain wood from New Zealand. Even mais concerning, however, is the change in weather patterns over the last ten years. Dr Foreman, from the Meteorology department is a friend of mine and he told me some interesting news the other day: weather patterns are getting mais and mais violent and chaotic, and lows are starting to appear mais frequently and much worse than any that we saw throughout the early years of the 21st century. Also, you'll probably have noticed yourselves the lack of seasonal change - This is very concerning.'
He answered the rest of the questions, then packed up, closed up the lecture hall and left for his office. He walked through the campus, nodding to a couple of the other professors he knew, until he reached his office. He stacked his papers, packed them into his pasta, maleta and grabbed his jacket, along with several other knick-knacks he thought he might need and then headed to his car.
At the car-park, he noticed a southerly front was coming in, so he quickly unlocked the car and jumped into the driver's seat.
-August 2046, All Over The World-
All over the world the earthquakes were felt. Some thought they were just coincidental, but others were rightfully frightened. Some countries had been wiped out por a lack of comida and millions upon millions of people had died from starvation, throughout the poorer countries. In fact, the figure had probably just hit in the hundreds of millions. The earthquakes just devastated an already degraded world - one that had been abused so terribly, that the people living on it were now being affected, too. Following the first earthquake, which was measured to be on a Magnitude of 9.7 and one of the largest ever felt, another promptly erupted and this tipped the scales at a whopping over 10 Magnitude. Ridiculously, these earthquakes had been felt all over the world, a clash of all of the known tectonic plates. It was estimated that over 300 million people died from these two earthquakes and their aftershocks alone. In some countries, massive tsunamis were experienced, which further accentuated the loss of life and caused widespread coastal damage. From that dia (17th August 2046) onwards, the weather had completely changed, seeming to be the same almost everywhere and seasonal change no longer existed. It either rained, or didn't. It was either hot or cold. Sometimes it was a dry heat and sometimes it was humid. It could change in the o espaço of two hours sometimes and no-one was seguro from it. Life as we knew it was over - A strange darkness had taken over the Earth and humans seemed to be unable to survive anymore.
