By 2050, there are expected to be 10 billion people. This means that the planet Earth will have to feed and provide all the resources that each of these human beings need. We think you can, but the sad reality is that the food, water, oil, and so many other things that we now have at our disposal are limited resources.
If until now wars were fought to conquer new territories, in recent times we are witnessing other types of conflicts, and the situation seems not to want to change. In fact, it is not only said that the Third World War will be about water, but that the climate will be very, very different if we continue to occupy ourselves in covering the green spaces with cement and tar instead of taking care of the planet. To such an extent it could change everything, that we could even cause a new geological era: the Plutocene.
What is the Plutocene?
The Plutocene is the term coined by paleoclimatologist Andrew Glikson, from the Australian National University, who describes the period after the Anthropocene, which would be marked by a sedimentary layer in the oceans rich in plutonium.
What would life be like on Earth?
Extremely complicated. According to Glikson, the average temperature of the planet would rise to 4 degrees centigrade above that in pre-industrial times, and the level of the oceans would rise between 10 and 40 meters above the current one.
If there were any human being, this would be forced to migrate to areas of higher altitude and latitude to survive. But, as the scientist explains, humanity would run the risk of disappearing.
How long would it last?
The paleoclimatologist commented that the duration of the Plutocene would depend on two factors: on the half-life of radioactive plutonium 239 -used in the production of nuclear weapons- and on the potential time that carbon dioxide will remain in the atmosphere. All in all, he thinks it could last between 20.000 and 24.100 years.
To avoid this, then, it would help a lot not to continue building or manufacturing nuclear weapons or polluting the Earth. We must not forget that, at least for the moment, it is the only home we have.
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