Climate Change
Climate change (formerly referred to as global warming) refers to significant changes to Earth's climate, due to anthropogenic causes since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. The unregulated emission of aerosols and greenhouse gases during the 20th and early 21st century, among other factors, has caused Earth's average temperature to climb by approximately 2 degrees celsius. Although efforts have been made in the past three decades to combat the effects of climate change, it has caused significant damage to the planet's ecosphere.
One of the main impacts of climate change has been rising sea levels, and, ironically, an increasing lack of water. The 2030s and 2040s saw the Water Wars in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and Central Africa, where tens of millions were killed or displaced as governments fought for increasingly scarce water supplies. By the early 2060s, low-lying Pacific nations such as Kiribati, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands were completely destroyed by rising sea levels. The inhabitants of these places and refugees from the Water Wars have often taken to surviving on floating 'arks', creating a culture called the Seaborn.
Even wealthy nations were unable to escape the effects of climate change. The Rub' al Khali expanded in the Arabian Peninsula, destroying the wealthy Gulf states and crippling Saudi Arabia - especially after the collapse of oil prices in the 2030s. The United States experienced increasing 'supercanes' (super hurricanes) that routinely devastated its coastline, shortages of water in western states, and significant increases in tornado volume in the midwest.
Some efforts have been made to mitigate the effects of climate change. The shift towards renewable energy in the 2030s has significantly reduced the amount of greenhouse gas being emitted into the atmosphere. Wealthier nations have funded the construction of seawalls around low-lying areas, and the Dutch Zee Verdediger Corporation (Sea Defender Corporation) has become one of the world's largest corporations due to their various patents on seawall designs. In 2056, following an unprecedented heatwave that killed over 20 million people, India unilaterally began distributing sulfur into the atmosphere. Although this would in theory lower temperatures, it nearly sparked a nuclear war between the nation and China - as ceasing this geoengineering project would have immense consequences. Since then, more countries have joined the Global Atmospheric Restoration Project, committing resources to shielding the Earth from solar heat in an effort to lower temperatures.
One of the main impacts of climate change has been rising sea levels, and, ironically, an increasing lack of water. The 2030s and 2040s saw the Water Wars in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and Central Africa, where tens of millions were killed or displaced as governments fought for increasingly scarce water supplies. By the early 2060s, low-lying Pacific nations such as Kiribati, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands were completely destroyed by rising sea levels. The inhabitants of these places and refugees from the Water Wars have often taken to surviving on floating 'arks', creating a culture called the Seaborn.
Even wealthy nations were unable to escape the effects of climate change. The Rub' al Khali expanded in the Arabian Peninsula, destroying the wealthy Gulf states and crippling Saudi Arabia - especially after the collapse of oil prices in the 2030s. The United States experienced increasing 'supercanes' (super hurricanes) that routinely devastated its coastline, shortages of water in western states, and significant increases in tornado volume in the midwest.
Some efforts have been made to mitigate the effects of climate change. The shift towards renewable energy in the 2030s has significantly reduced the amount of greenhouse gas being emitted into the atmosphere. Wealthier nations have funded the construction of seawalls around low-lying areas, and the Dutch Zee Verdediger Corporation (Sea Defender Corporation) has become one of the world's largest corporations due to their various patents on seawall designs. In 2056, following an unprecedented heatwave that killed over 20 million people, India unilaterally began distributing sulfur into the atmosphere. Although this would in theory lower temperatures, it nearly sparked a nuclear war between the nation and China - as ceasing this geoengineering project would have immense consequences. Since then, more countries have joined the Global Atmospheric Restoration Project, committing resources to shielding the Earth from solar heat in an effort to lower temperatures.
Type
Natural
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