One of these deals eh? Well, if mankind does manage to blow itself apart, it may be the end of the world for us,
although it probably won't end for the planet itself. Personally I believe that what's going to happen if
things continue in a downward spiral as they are now, we'll more than likely see much of the following:
1. Extreme resource shortages- Oil and gas will of course be depleted from failure to seek out renewable fuels.
2. Extreme food shortages and massed famine- It is predicted that by the year 2020, only half of the world's people
will be able to be effectively fed and housed, the others will simply be left to starve.
3. Drinkable water shortages- Many places worldwide are seeing this problem now, drinkable water is in shorter supply
than what can be provided. This will in cases deteriorate into all-out open warfare over water supplies in
general.
The list of horrors extends in multiple directions, and as we stand now, the planet is losing it's ability to
support so many of us at one given time. Now, I have taken into account the horridly inefficient practices of
corporate-run farming myself, and the fact that about eighty percentile of the world's total farming capacity is
given over to cash crops rather than actual foodstuffs. Correcting this balance will make quite a difference in the long
run, although these should only be regarded as patchwork repairs in light of larger issues.
i had a proposal once about a utopia of sorts that went something like this:
1. Abolishment of currency and capitalism-based economies, institution of a rewards point system or barter system: If
one evil has been traced in any way, shape, or form to the world's problems, it's money and the corrupt's
love of it. People simply cannot be trusted with money, nor can the bureaucratic system of the current corporate scene
be trusted with it either as that many of them would rather relegate their employment under them to factory or
cubicle-slave status. In the proposed change, everything a person owns outside of entertainment will be paid for by the
government: Housing, transportation, insurance, education, food, water, healthcare, all those are pre-covered. The
points system would function akin to a credit card in which the recipient would use the points garnered from labor to
purchase things that he/she wants, if not barter for them with objects of equal or greater value.
2. Abolishment of fossil fuels: Of course, what else would lead to the destruction of our environment faster than fossil
fuels? The era of oil is drawing to a close, American Imperialists (which in being an American I am thouroughly ashamed
of) are on a quest for cheap oil in the middle east and elsewhere across the globe, tensions are running high over this
"black gold" as it was once called, and of course, the Oil and coal companies have started a massive
disinformation campaign to dissuade people from losing hope in current reserves, which are predicted to run dry as early
as 2020 by many scientists.
Refine fuel cell technology and fusion technology (forseen as being perfected by 2030) for use in cars and things of the
like. Phase out the Diesel and Internal combustion engines by 2030, etc.
3. Give full reparations and aid to nations formerly affected by European colonialism, provide food, clean water,
healthcare and proper housing toward all disenfranchised individuals.
4. Repair environmental problems and actively enforce the endangered species act. Outlaw slash & burn agriculture,
outlaw the sale of endangered species or parts of endangered species for any purpose whatsoever.
5. Bolster the space program and develop spacial hydroponics facilities and off-world colonies, research hydrogen
skimming derricks for use in Jupiter's orbit (think about it, an infinite source of hydrogen) and hydrogen tankers
for hauling materials. Also implement (little research is needed, because we already have them) hall field thrusters or
high-efficiency Ion engines into starship designs to allow for quicker acceleration than normally provided by chemical
rockets.
That's all I could think of for now, feel free to add comments and ideas and things of the like. Don't give me
any of that "It doesn't work like that in the real-world" crap as a warning, if that's the way that
everyone's thinking, then it's no wonder that we're supposedly "doomed".