The Climate Chap: Fast forward: dateline 2122

7 Nov, 2022

OPINION

It’s 2122 and it finally happened… the ice caps on Antarctica and Greenland have finally completely melted. All glaciers disappeared over 50 years ago, and snow now only visible on the Himalayan and Andean peaks.

According to the historic Mangawhai Focus, our sea levels have now risen by approaching 20 metres over the past century but that’s over now as there’s no more ice to melt.

Hard to imagine those times before climate change became irreversible. Everything changed. Much of what was Aotearoa has disappeared underwater, destroying much of our infrastructure, communities, industries, and especially sources of food. No more fish, no longer the climate to accommodate livestock, way too hot and dry for our grains, fruits and vegetables to grow. No more wine!

Thank heavens China came to our rescue and offered to restore our essential infrastructure and services as long as we became part of their rapidly expanding empire. Long live Xinxilan.

Hard to believe that back in 2022 they thought that the temperature rise could be limited to 1.5C. All that was needed was to reduce the dependance on fossil fuels and the methane belched by livestock and all would be well. However too little too late as by 2050 global temperatures rose by 3C therefore locking in endless summers of 45C-plus temperatures, multi-year droughts, and ferocious floods resulting from storms that frequently lasted for months.

How did this happen? Certainly governments were way too slow to act, certainly too many people being deniers, certainly the oil and cattle industries protecting their massive profits, certainly too many people choosing to wait for others to act before changing their lifestyles. Certainly distractions from plagues, warfare and political shortsightedness.

So what are we left with? Xinxilan now 35 percent smaller than 100 years ago. Nearly every coastal city underwater; irreparable and evacuated years ago. The seat of government relocated to Chloe Swarbrick City, previously known as Palmerston North, no primary industries surviving, and despite the investment from our friends in Beijing, no major roads, railways or airports functioning. Thank heavens they restored our electricity generation and distributions systems otherwise life would be hell.

Fortunately our population also declined from 7 million in 2050 to under 4 million today. The bulge babies from the mid 20th century have long since departed, many adults struggling to adjust to the changing world chose not to start families, and lack of work opportunities resulted in mass emigration to the economic powerhouses of Central Africa, nations least impacted by the climate disaster. Don’t get me wrong… life is still good and hard to believe that living elsewhere could be better.

Great that the food industry abandoned promoting flesh from cows, sheep, fish and birds and what they amusingly called “junk food” and came to rely upon scientists to develop laboratory-based nutritious foods. Compact, healthy, easily manufactured anywhere and everywhere, affordable and yet boring. Healthcare and education, now delivered remotely have also become affordable, effective and immediately available. Communities have progressed to be self-sufficient and governed by consensus due to each community being isolated and only connected by flying personally-owned electric “iPlanes”. Looking through the pages of the historic Mangawhai Focus, it’s hard to remember that things like books, newspapers, cinema, shopping centres, cafes, airports, expressways, social networking, elections and “local government” were deemed essential. Must have been important back then, but we get by without them now.

Naturally international travel ceased to be available and affordable decades ago, and no longer practical to import products from overseas… but we’re doing OK.

Back in 2022 Mangawhai appears to have been “magical” and a wonderful coastal community. Much simply disappeared as the sea levels rose, and little is left. At least the beaches in Kaiwaka are clean and warm.

So, is life in 2122 better than 2022? Hard to tell as it seems so long ago that the climate crisis became our planet’s greatest challenge ever. Could the climate disaster have been avoided? We will never know, but probably yes. Looks like those shopping malls, cafes, vacations, abundance of foods, and scope to enjoy Aotearoa were enjoyable and beneficial, but we’re doing just fine now.

Heaven knows, whole countries disappeared underwater, so what have we got to complain about?

Hard to imagine those times before climate change became irreversible. Everything changed. Much of what was Aotearoa has disappeared underwater…