Post-Apocalyptic A to Z: Climate Change

Any post-apocalyptic writer has to take into account current events. One of the most interesting aspects of the genre, indeed all science fiction, is the extrapolation of today's trends into tomorrow.

A key trend for a post-apocalyptic novel is the degradation of our environment. While people argue about the extent to which we are affecting our global climate, I think we can all agree that pumping toxins into our air and water supply at an ever-increasing rate is a really, really bad idea. This week the UN released a landmark environmental report bringing together more than 12,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies and showing that changes in the environment are affecting wildlife, sea levels, and much more.

So how does this affect survivors of an apocalypse? All those pollutants are still around. Old nuclear reactors and hazardous waste sites will start to leak, and those who survive by scavenging in the ruins of the old civilization will have to watch out. If you open the wrong barrel, you might get a nasty surprise. . .

On the up side, all those old landfills provide a ready supply of fuel. About 50 percent of solid waste is paper or cardboard, which burns well, and industrious survivors with technological know-how can even tap into the methane that landfills produce.

So bring it on, climate change, at least a few thousand of us will make it through!


Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.