The year is now 2050 and unfortunately Chicken Little was right this time; the sky was falling by filling with carbon dioxide and choking the earth. History books now begin: “Silly Chicken Little was right. We should have curbed CO2 output before it was too late.”
Oh, sure, many were being responsible and tried to change things. But the weight of convenience, habit and self interest were too strong. Most people just had to have more stuff and use powerful machines to improve their lives. It seemed reasonable, but now we have an overheated planet choking on their CO2.
The majority felt personal comfort and safety were way more important than worrying about CO2. They were secret energy gluttons and let others worry about emissions. The thought was China is a bigger problem than we will ever be.
The glaciers and sea ice are all gone, sea levels have risen and permafrost melted. It hit northern latitudes first and hardest. Large mammals like the polar bear and walrus were first to go. As the permafrost melted, caribou floundered in burgeoning brush and sank into the muck. They were soon followed by the sinking of pipelines and buildings which depended on permafrost for support.
The great Alaska oil pipeline sank so quickly into the melted tundra that efforts to rebuild were finally abandoned as too expensive. The Alaska gas line could not be built fast enough to stay ahead of the thaw and also was abandoned with a loss of 20 billion state dollars.
The fishing industry floundered because the fish all died when the ocean became acidic. The change in sea chemistry dissolved the corals and the shells of sea life, decimating the bottom of the food chain. Since the rest of the world was struggling, tourism collapsed. With no oil, fish or tourists, the Alaska economy imploded and triggered mass bankruptcies. Alaska, the new Bangladesh.
The politicians never got past under-taxing oil production and spent all savings except for the permanent fund. A vote was taken to save the state, but the winning campaign slogan was “Alaska is your problem, don’t touch my dividend.” Alaska became so debt ridden the Supreme Court declared the state bankrupt and it was auctioned to Exxon.
Exxon appointed new judges who nullified the oil spill penalty. As the new owner of the permanent fund, Exxon paid for purchasing the state and declared a dividend for Exxon shareholders. The crowning blow to Alaska pride happened when Exxon gave Alaska to Texas in trade for oil tax breaks. Crowing Texans renamed Alaska to Exxon County.
Texans were generous to Exxon County, offering shelter in the Houston Astrodome to those displaced by rising sea levels. Only cynics thought the offer was made because it was cheaper than rebuilding the many towns and villages swallowed by the sea.
Thanks to medical advances, Ted Stevens is still a senator. Don Young remains a representative and insists global warming is OK because the earth was once very warm and CO2 is natural. He doesn’t bother to read the science that a habitable earth hasn’t been this warm in 600,000 years.
Don proudly displays a stuffed polar bear, and brags about shooting the last wild polar bear. Ted and Don are still predicting ANWR will soon be open to oil companies. No local opposition to drilling exists because the remaining North Slope population consists of three small bands of starving nomadic tribes.
Ted was heard to say if he ever saw Chicken Little he would wring her neck. He claims all she ever did was upset people about a little climate change when real Alaskans should have been flying south for Mexican vacations. Alaska jobs are way more important than a little CO2 and hard-working Alaskans deserve a sun break every winter.
Is this a new fairy tale? A wild exaggeration or science fiction? Sorry, not this time neighbors. Be afraid, be very afraid of CO2. The issue of CO2 emissions is so serious that the carnage of terror attacks will pale by comparison. Look into it. Prepare and do what you can. Do it now. Please. We have less than 10 years to save the earth.
Bill Smith is a longtime Homer resident.
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