The End of the World as We Know It

A few years ago, most people felt reasonably secure looking ahead to the future, knowing that unless the Russians and USA started a nuclear war, there was little to worry about.

Recent studies on global warming, terrorist activity and natural disasters amongst other things, now have me seriously concerned for the life that know, and wondering if the path that mankind has taken over the last century has set us on a path towards a doom that we can no longer escape.

"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper" is how TS Elliot ended his poem The Hollow Men, and it seems to me that the only banging going on during the end of days might be that of nuclear explosions, volcanic eruptions, and the crashing down of buildings as the result of earthquakes.

Let us investigate the likely causes of the end of the world as we know it.



Nuclear War.

At the current time wars between the major nations of the world seem unlikely to recur, with most nations abandoning their nuclear arsenals and signing peace treaties.

This does not however prevent groups of anarchists or terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons or the material to build them, and detonating them in our cities.

Even if this were to happen, for example in a city like New York or London, despite the massive disruption and loss of life, it is unlikely to cause the end of the world.



Terrorism

Terrorists do not fight wars against other countries with the hope of winning a war. They only strive to cause maximum destruction and loss of life, for no benefit other than having obeyed their evil tutors.

It's not the occasional suicide bomb or even nuclear device that are the biggest threats to mankind though.

Were the water or food supplies for a region to be contaminated, the power supplies cut off in the middle of winter, for oil refineries to be sabotaged, or for lethal viruses to be spread amongst the population, then these could and would create massive problems.

Other than a disease like Smallpox or Ebola being let loose though, it is unlikely to cause the end of the world.



Disease

Germs and viruses are becoming more resistant to the drugs that are being administered, so will we one day reach a point where some diseases can no longer be controlled.

As the cost of drugs becomes higher as they become increasingly sophisticated, it is likely that should there be a widespread breakout of a disease, the government might not have the resources to inoculate the whole population. At that point decisions will need to be made as to who to save and who to sacrifice. Not a pleasant thought.



Overpopulation / Economic Downfall

The world population is exploding, and this is something that we cannot ignore.

The Chinese saw it coming, and yet even their single baby per family policy has failed to prevent the population of that nation from growing ever larger.

With nations around the world expanding cities into the surrounding farmland, there comes a point when there is an economic downturn, like we are seeing right now, where cities, regions and even whole nations are rapidly running out of money.

We have seen this in various European countries, and it's happening in the USA as well. If the governments are unable to provide enough jobs, or benefits for those who are without work, it is only a matter of time before law and order breaks down, as people go into survival mode in order to obtain food and other essentials.

Should this happen in any single city, it would be a disaster, and could spread to others. It's definitely not a scenario that I would like to experience.



Global Warming / Climate Change

In the last several years we have seen changing weather patterns, creating horrendous storms, with major hurricanes and tornadoes causing massive damage in the USA alone.

The unusually heavy snows falls in the winter of 2010 in the USA, coupled with heavy rainfall, have caused some of the worst flooding in recent history. Yet in parts of the Midwest, a severe drought has threatened to cause the worse situation since the dust bowl era or the 1930's.

Flooding can cause an area to be uninhabitable for a long period of time, and can also wash away irreplaceable soil from farmland, as well as destroying crops and livestock.

Droughts can cause equally devastating problems, from loss of crops, soil being blown away, and huge brush fires that in recent years have taken weeks to get under control in some parts of the world.

Our climate is changing as the earth goes through one of it's scientifically proven cycles, and the effect of this on heavily populated areas could be disastrous, should the numbers and severity of hurricanes and tornadoes increase. We only have to look at the damage from the current tornado season in the American Midwest to see how destructive large tornadoes can be.

In the longer term however, global warming means the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as glaciers around the world.

The loss of glaciers means that rivers which are fed by them will dry up, causing severe droughts, and with this famine. This is already happening in parts of Asia, where ice levels in the Himalayas have been reducing for years.

Scientists claim that if the polar ice melts beyond a certain point, that this could affect the ocean currents, which would place certain regions into a mini-ice age. Recent studies do in fact show that the ice has been melting at a much faster rate than the conservative estimates of decade ago. I think that this is definitely a cause for concern.

Should the temperature of the North Atlantic Ocean cool sufficiently due to an influx of cold fresh water from the Arctic, scientists predict that the Gulf Stream which flows from the Gulf Of Mexico, up the east coast of the USA and across to the English Channel, will stop flowing.

If this happens, it's a case of when. While predictions might indicate that this could happen in 20, 50 or even 100 years from now, we do know that the ice caps are melting at an unprecedented rate. What if the Gulf Stream stopped flowing right now?

I imagine that if and when the Gulf Stream does stop, it will not be so much a gradual slowing down over a number of years, it will be more like the turning off of a tap, in other words it will happen rapidly. One day it's there, the next it's not.

Without these warming waters, the UK and much of Northern Europe would experience a climate more like that of Canada, which aside from Scandinavia, the region is not prepared to deal with. This would mean failure of crops, failure of transportation, and quite possibly a complete break down of society.

The melting of the polar ice also means that sea levels will rise. So as to not scare the masses, as well as to not be ridiculed, scientists have estimated that the rises will have little effect in anything less than the next 50-100 years. But what if they are wrong?

A sea level rise of only 12 inches, combined with more violent storms due to changing climates, could see many cities vulnerable to major flooding.

We saw how severe the flooding was in New Orleans as the result of hurricane Katrina a few years ago. Right now the flood waters of the Mississippi river are being diverted to prevent an even worse flooding of this city. London is vulnerable to flooding, as are many coastal cities.

Half of The Netherlands lies below sea level, behind huge dykes that keep the sea out, but to what extent can these dykes cope with an increase in sea level.

The coastal regions around the world are where the majority of the world population is to be found, as well as much of the best farmland. Should oceans rise and cities become uninhabitable, people will be forced to leave the coast by the million, and they will need to find somewhere to live.

At this point even a country like the USA could be facing a severe crisis, providing housing and jobs for a large moving population. It's a scary prospect.



Natural Disasters

Recent earthquakes around the Pacific "Ring Of Fire" seem to have increased in their severity, as have the number of major earthquake incidents in other parts of the world.

While there are many global earthquakes daily, it seems that lately the number of serious ones is increasing. In the last few years we have seen horrific tragedies in Haiti, New Zealand and Japan amongst others.

Scientists say that "The Big One", a major tremor of the San Andreas Fault that will affect Los Angeles is overdue, and should this be on a scale like the ones felt in Japan a few months ago, the loss of life and the effect on the US economy would be horrific.

While earthquakes cause major damage though, they do not usually create a serious long term problem. With volcanoes however, it's far different.

Volcanoes can cause multiple problems, and not just to the surrounding areas. They are definitely a threat to the future of mankind that we need to be concerned about.

We all know about the effects that Vesuvius had on he Roman city of Pompeii, we have seen the remains of the Greek island of Santorini, a possible location of the fabled city of Atlantis, but scientists are aware of far greater dangers, the Super volcanoes.

One of these is known to exist under Yellowstone National Park, and while it may not erupt for another 20,000 years, it just might decide on tomorrow! Should a super volcano like this erupt, the effect would be to take out a third of the USA, if not more.

The eruption is not the only danger however, it's the vast cloud that a volcano produces.

In the case of Pompeii this cloud contained poisonous gases, that killed thousands within minutes. While this is fairly rare as volcanoes go, there would be no time to find a gas mask should a poison gas cloud head your way.

This past week we saw minor disruption to air traffic in Northern Europe due to a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Just over a year ago we saw major disruptions for a whole month due to another volcano in Iceland. What if we were faced with more frequent, plus larger and longer eruptions though.

When the volcano on the island of Krakatoa erupted in 1883, the cloud of dust and ash had an effect on the weather around the world, blocking out sunlight and giving spectacular sunsets.

An eight month long volcanic eruption in Iceland in 1783 caused thousands of deaths in the USA because of the ash cloud, which blotted out the sun, causing temperatures to drop, and crops failed to grow. The same eruption killed thousands in the UK and other countries in North West Europe, and was a major factor in the French Revolution, the population rising up because they were starving.

Should another eruption in Iceland persist for a long time, this would affect much larger populations in the USA and Europe than existed in the 1700's and 1800's. The cold and shortage of food would likely create havoc.

Many thousands of people would move south to escape the darkness and cold, and such huge migrations would put a severe strain on the infrastructure of any areas affected.



Space Threats

While the possibility that aliens are going to invade our planet and seek to destroy mankind is slim, unless you are in the movie making business, there are alien forces that could result in the end of mankind.

We now know that a meteor striking the earth is the likely reason for the death of the dinosaurs, with the onset of darkness due to the tremendous explosion as it hurtled through the atmosphere at thousands of miles per hour and struck the ground disrupting the climate worldwide.

Even a relatively small rock from space could cause severe damage, and despite scientists trying to develop ways to detonate or divert anything that comes our way, there is always the possibility that they might not be successful.



So Will The World End With A Bang Or A Whimper?

I have no idea, but every scenario worries me, whether it be a natural disaster, disease, weather related, or society falling apart. I just hope that whatever does happen, it's not during my lifetime or that of my children.

What is your opinion on the end of the world? Is this something that troubles you, or just something that you take in your stride, since if it's going to happen, there isn't much you can do about it.