The Long Summer

The causes are constantly being debated, but the evidence is clear. Planet Earth is getting warmer. Polar bear documenters are reporting the bears drowning because the disappearance of ice in the Arctic makes swims too far. The president of island chain nation Maldives says that his country may be gone completely in 75 years because of rising ocean waters. Meterologists warn that warming surface waters could cause more frequent and more violent hurricanes. But will the world end? That is highly doubtful. The big worry is how fast and how rough will a climate change be? The truth is that no one knows. Given our level of technology, it is likely that we will be able to adapt to the new climate. The big losers will be underdeveloped nations, or places like the Maldives that will have nothing left. What we could see is the largest reduction in global population levels since the Black Plague. Major interruptions to plant and animal growth patters could lead to widespread starvation. Parts of the world could become completely unihabitable. The resulting chaos could also lead to political anarchy. But don't worry. Keep driving that Ford Excursion.

The Gods Are Angry

How will the world end? Well, if you live in a certain part of Indonesia, it may well be a volcano. This may be a particular hazard if you refuse government warnings and attempt to appease the volcano with offerings of flowers and food. Although this is a time honored method of preventing volcanic eruption, it's track record is questionable. I think it is time for these backwoods peasants to catch up with the techological world. Offer it ipods.

The Third World War

Does the current situation with Iran have the potential to explode into the next world war, the war-to-really-end-all-wars? I think it does. To quantify the potentially disastorous effects of a war like this, let's examine the actors that could become involved. The United States has hundreds of thousands of ground troops surrounding Iran due to other War on Terrorism efforts. There will be no way for a war to start without the US being inolved. They are also the largest military and economic power in the world. They also have the second largest nuclear arsenal in the world. The biggest belongs to Russia. Russia will be involved because they are cooperating with Iran on their controversial nuclear program. Another potential is Russia's cold war collaborator, China. China is developing and in need of oil from countries like Iran. They also have a nuclear arsenal of their own. Three more nuclear countries will be affected by proximity, if for no other reason. Pakistan, India, and Israel are all close enough to be affected by any large scale war in the region. Israel should be especially concerned because Iran has announced it would be the first target for any acts of retaliation. The big issues in a conflict with these nations will also encompass several major issues that demand global attention. The first is oil, probably the world's most critical natural resource. Iran has a lot. The next issue is nuclear weaponry. It hasn't been used since 1945, but technology has advanced quite a bit since then, and Iran's reactors may be the itch that causes countries to twitch their trigger fingers. Additionally, the issue of global terrorism and the emerging Islam vs Infidels paradigm may drag in a horde of other actors.