A POST APOCALYPTIC DYSTOPIAN SOCIETY

My friends have suggested that we are currently living in a post apocalytic dystopian society. That seems like a depressing and drastic opinion, but lets examine it further. In a post apocalyptic time, life is threatened on a global scale. Natural or man-made circumstances have threatened society and we are forced to navigate the new physical and social landscape after a disaster. Our focus becomes attempting to survive together. Disease and natural disasters immediately come to mind. Covid has killed 6,907,932 people spanning 229 countries. As fall approaches, we are seeing this virus reappear and are being warned to take heed. We are advised to get new vaccines and wear masks in crowded venues AGAIN. As if that isn't enough of an issue, Florida has recently reported new cases of malaria and Leprosy appearing. These are diseases that were essentially eradicated in our country, but are slowly invading. Those of you who deny that climate change is real, just look around. Globally, June was the hottest month on record and August, too, threatens to be one of the hottest on record. The extreme heat has caused warmer ocean water which means more moisture in the atmosphere. This, in turn, has produced flooding rains all over the U.S., rip tides, melting glaciers in Alaska, landslides in Norway, flash floods in Maine, trees falling and electrical outages. This extreme heat has also caused the wildfires in many areas of our country, Canada, Mediterranean Europe, northern Africa, Greece, and southern Italy. Currently, fires are burning in Maui and much of this beautiful island is destroyed. These environmental disasters are caused by the combination of natural variations within the climate system and human-caused climate change which emit warming greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. These dangerous weather patterns, the pandemic sicknesses which cause extreme loss of life, and natural disasters are challenging our survival. Oh, and have we even touched on the topics of insects and sea life? Where did Spotted Lanternflies come from? Native to parts of Asia, they arrived a decade ago and are a detriment to our plants and can create widespread harm to our economy. Specifically, the wine industry is in fear! These insects love grapevines. We are encouraged to kill them so they don't destroy our plants and trees and our beloved wine. Shall we move on to discuss Shark Bites? This summer has been especially scary. Supposedly, the cause of shark attacks is, again, due to climate change. The higher ocean temperatures are pushing sharks from the warmer, less populated Southern Hemisphere towards the cooler and more crowded Northern Hemisphere. The sharks are swimming closer to the shoreline looking for food, and this causes an increased possibility of humans coming into direct contact with the hungry sharks. What else is affecting sea life? In Southern California, the horrid smell wafting from dead sea lions and dolphins is unbearable. Red tide or toxic algae is believed to be partially caused by human polution. In addition, climate change can increase the growth of these toxins in fresh and salt water. In a post apocalyptic society, we see the possible causes of the collapse of our earth's civilization. It can be due to war, environmental disasters, pandemics, or plaques. It appears as if we are, in fact, living this nightmare. A dystopia suggests a society where there is possibly a political or social struggle. In books, it's often an imaginary place where everything is as bad as it can be. It might be a place where women no longer have rights. Or, where technology causes the loss of individualism. It's overuse causes the world to be "less human and less humane." Consider the reversal of Roe V. Wade, or the use of AI for creative outlets like television, music, and literature. A dystopian society may appear to be intact and functioning, but the future is disturbing, dark, and may be on the brink of collapsing. So where do we go from here? How do we turn things around for a bright future and thriving society? Hopefully, these dire situations that I have mentioned will incite awareness. Hopefully, this will catalyze broader knowledge that will in turn stimulate all of us to make significant changes in our lifestyles. We all need to accept that climate change is real, and we must modify our behavior to save the planet. This is not a partisan issue. Everyone is affected. PEACE OUT-ONE B