Michael McKeon
Year 2100 Retrospective
It is in the normal course of humanity to periodically assess current circumstances juxtaposed against the ambitions of a brighter future and reflective of the journey past. Now on the brink of the 22nd century, it seems appropriate to evaluate to events and trends of the past 100 years that have delivered the current state of affairs.
First and foremost it is amazing to consider how the geographic landscape of the planet has shifted. Due in part to climate disturbances at the beginning quarter of the century which gave rise to more turbulent, violent and devastating weather patterns over sustained periods of time, once self-sustaining and habitable areas became desolate barrens of ravaged earth. From the great wildfires that consumed Australia’s outback to the excessive flooding in the Pacific Rim, extended droughts in Africa and extreme cold in Western Europe, especially the UK, agricultural norms were displaced and famine emerged as a significant threat to even the most industrialized nations as Mother Nature nearly negated the benefits derived from the 20th century’s Green Revolution.
As Western Europe became dependent on outside sources to provide sustenance to its population, tensions within the European Union reached a critical juncture as resource-rich Turkey and Russia’s inclusion into the system became heatedly debated. With the support of Germany and Italy, Russia and Turkey were awarded conditional membership, but France relented on the decision and subversively tried to destroy the Russian economy via state sponsored terrorism designed to disrupt Russia’s oil production. Retaliation was swift and decisive once the plot had been discovered and Germany aided Russia’s retaliation, taking military action against France. The rapid violence of the European Incident dissolved the EU and left an economic void in the Northern Hemisphere.
With the increased stress placed on sustaining the existing...