There’s hardly much room to deny climate change anymore. Climate anomalies seem to have increased in frequency over recent years. Industrialization, rampant deforestation, and growing urban populations all play a huge role. And they have been doing so for more than 100 years. Events like protracted warfare, marine pollution, and even agricultural sprawl have also played their part. Climate change isn’t just about the globe slowly heating up. It is more about temperatures reaching abnormal extremes.
Today, we have higher temperatures in the summer, while winter temperatures are also dropping to lower extremes. Both of which are very bad news for humans. Whether global warming is reversible and if we have crossed the point of no return are both important questions. But those are not the subject of this blog. Instead, let’s take a look at what life could look like in a world where a climate catastrophe has already happened. Find out below.
Rising Sea Levels Near Coasts
Coastal cities are an important feature in countries that border oceans or seas. These cities typically serve as important ports. Eventually, most coastal cities become large business, commercial, and even tourist hubs. Imagine, however, if the polar icecaps completely melt. There would be a much larger volume of water in the oceans. As a result, coastal cities would have seen rising water until completely submerged.
In a world where this has already happened, your formerly prosperous country no longer has a major port. That cuts off not just businesses and travel, but also the supply of essential imports like oil, food, and even medication. The result? Your part of the world may face drastic shortages of resources that it usually imports. And wherever one group falls short of resources, they’ll either have to trade with other groups. Or (and sadly more likely) they could try to seize them. The result? At best a civil war with factions vying for control of rapidly shrinking resources. At worst? A free for all that leads to even more conflict.
Shrinking Water Reserves
Rising water levels aren’t the only problem you face in a world following a global climate catastrophe. Sea levels may rise as a result of melting ice, but seawater is not drinkable. Freshwater sources inland, however, may quickly began drying up. Higher temperatures would completely melt the glaciers that feed inland rivers, streams, and lakes. If you’re living in such a world, you will most likely have to live through an acute shortage of drinking water.
Imagine a world where every sip of water is rationed. Worse, imagine a world where every sip reduces unrenewable water resources. A finite volume of drinking water means people won’t just be rationing it out. It also means other people will be supremely protective of any water they have. Wars (or a post-apocalyptic equivalent) could very well be the norm to gain control of water resources. And given that the alternative would be dying of thirst, neither side will be willing to come to terms.
Breakdown of Law and Order
The world today is far from perfect. But crime rates, mortality, and civilization are far better than at any point in the last century. Most countries have civil justice and law enforcement systems in place. These public services protect citizens. They also offer citizens a means for legal recourse if they suffer harm or injury.
Now imagine a city devastated by rising sea levels or shrinking water reserves. Policing a few criminals in a largely law-abiding citizenry is relatively easy. But how do you police an entire population driven to survive at all costs, including killing or maiming people that threaten their survival? There is simply not enough manpower in any police department or court in any part of the world to handle this. And with the inevitable economic collapse following global disturbances, you can be sure most cities won’t have the funds to protect you. All urban centers will likely become little more than concrete jungles.
Human Rights Becoming a Casualty
Take a moment to absorb the situations above. Major cities have flooded. Drinking water reserves have shrunk rapidly. And local governments and civil services are more or less extinct. Where do you think human rights fit into the equation?
When someone is after your backpack full of expired packaged food and meager drinking water, what would hold them back? Certainly not the fear of going to jail, since no real jails exist anymore. In fact, the fabric of civilized and modern society may utterly fall apart. People may start joining factions in the hope of safety in numbers. And even then, they may not be safe among their chosen companions. When the sole objective is to survive, political correctness, countering racism, or even being inclusive may become irrelevant. When a survivor is considering cannibalism, they’re likely not concerned with morals or ethics anymore. So, what you have is a world where might determines the winner, not rights.
