Imagine a Dashner dystopia filled with ancient viral diseases that we once thought were gone. Imagine a world full of uncertainty with the virus-inflicted mob mentality where viruses play a crucial role in determining the behavioral changes that no one thought had qualitative or quantitative evidence to, where being a Frankenstein is no more a Shelly classic. This might be far-fetched thought for some at the moment, but let there be no doubt that this is exactly what the future holds for us; thanks to global warming and its aftermath.
But wait! What exactly is Global warming? Global Warming can be explained in terms of climatic change. It is the long-term rise in the average temperature that has disinterred various phenomena such as rising sea levels, regional changes in precipitation, expansion of deserts, and more frequent extreme weather events such as heatwaves. The word global warming and its aftermaths is indeed no more a myth. Published data agrees with the claims made above, and speaks volumes for how human evolution becomes a threat to mother Earth.
Amongst the published data, the most worrisome one is the evidence of a striking episode of continuous permafrost melting. This melting is unearthing viruses and bacteria that have been lying dormant for thousands of years. These deadly infectious agents are entities rekindling unbeknownst to the millennials who are yet to concede. Not only is their resurrection a deadly nightmare, but a dreadful massacre of many.
Scientific and empirical evidence speaks volumes about this alarming situation put forward as an aftermath of Global warming. Their presence has been detected, and cases depicting the aftermath of this resurrection have also been reported. [1]
In a sad episode that occurred during late July, an outbreak of anthrax has killed reindeer herds and locals in Siberia. Researchers found a reindeer carcass from 75 years ago which had been buried in permafrost until the scorching temperatures thawed the frozen soil releasing the carcass within which in turn released the ages-old anthrax spores. It turns out that a paper published in 2011 by researchers at the Russian Academy of Sciences had warned that anthrax-stricken cattle burial grounds in East Serbia are hubs of new epidemics. [2]
In 2015, scientists also discovered amoebas that were still infectious after 30,000 years suggesting that deadlier pathogens that are thought to be extinct might be lurking around in the permafrost. Scientists also expect an increase in the spreading of water-borne diseases such as Cholera following a rise in sea levels. [3]
However, let this not be a pessimist’s rant swaying-away from the utopian dream we all have but as a cautionary pontificate that urges its readers to think about the hanging sword. Global warming is real and it is happening. It is not only prudent but also a wise consideration that we educate ourselves and take into account the disastrous aftermath of this very hanging sword so that we avoid the Dashner dystopia where people are characterized by their ability to withstand the bacteria, where the standards of nobility are redefined by bodily-integrity of its inhabitants. Let’s unlearn and relearn the reality.
References
- http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170504-there-are-diseases-hidden-in-ice-and-they-are-waking-up
- Revich, B. A., & Podolnaya, M. A. (2011). Thawing of permafrost may disturb historic cattle burial grounds in East Siberia. Global health action, 4(1), 8482.
- https://www.livescience.com/43800-giant-virus-found-permafrost.html
Editor: MK Janjua
“The views expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Spectra Magazine.”
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