Alternate apocalypses

[copeab]

We've talked at times about alternatives to an all-out nuclear war. I thought I'd start a thread to group the ideas together (sorry if such a thread already exists).

My suggestion: eruption of the Yellowstone Park "supervolcano". apart from wrecking the US, it would also cause severe global climatic changes in just a few months.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by copeab

My suggestion: eruption of the Yellowstone Park "supervolcano". apart from wrecking the US, it would also cause severe global climatic changes in just a few months.

It's a good one from the global disaster standpoint; the only real problem I have with it is that it puts most of the US and southern Canada into the unsurvivable zone.

[Webstral]

In addition to being a good disaster scenario, it's one that can strike with little warning. There was an extended run-up to the nuclear exchange. Even the nuclear exchange left some room for preparations. Yellowstone, though it seems like it ought to give some indications before going, doesn't necessarily have to telegraph its intent.

Webstral

[Webstral]

This is tangential to the effects of Yellowstone's eruption. Should we be exploiting this rich energy resource that is overdue for an eruption? We have a source of geothermal energy that defies the imagination. Surely we could sink a few wells--maybe even figure out a way to camouflage the operation so that the park isn't spoiled. Of course, all that electricity would have to go someplace to be useful.

Webstral

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Webstral

In addition to being a good disaster scenario, it's one that can strike with little warning. There was an extended run-up to the nuclear exchange. Even the nuclear exchange left some room for preparations. Yellowstone, though it seems like it ought to give some indications before going, doesn't necessarily have to telegraph its intent.

Webstral

There is a small group of scientists that say Yellowstone is already giving those indications, though they have no idea exactly when a super-eruption would happen. Could be tomorrow, could be thousands of years from now. But some scientists think that geological-time-wise, it will be very soon.

Now that I've given you guys something nice to sleep on...

You know, something like Yellowstone shows you that, while mankind can do some nasty stuff to the world, we're really just pipsqueaks, relatively speaking.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

You know, something like Yellowstone shows you that, while mankind can do some nasty stuff to the world, we're really just pipsqueaks, relatively speaking.

The reason Yellowstone came to mind was because someone elsewhere had wanted a post-apoc WWII setting but was having a hard time coming up with a scenario where everyone could have a sufficient number of nukes. I had been listening to the song "1816, The Year Without A Summer" by Rasputina and started thinking of volcanoes, which reminded me of a show I had seen on TV about the eruptions in the past and the next one somewhat overdue ...

[jester]

Thats kinda funny since the movie 2012 aired on three channels last night for its cable opening. And it was based more or less with that as a theme.


We have yellowstone.

We have Earthquakes

Volcanoes maybe the ring of fire starts acting up with lots of Eathquakes, then Tsuamis and then volcanoes blowing their tops. That would give ALOT of similiar effects of a nuke. Fires, cities leveled, populations decimated, crops and crop land terribly affected, governments toppled and a perpetual gray gloomy overcast which will diminish the ability to grow crops, lets leave there a few sunny days that seem cloudy to the temps don't drop to a new iceage and all plant and animal life dies. But, enough that crop yeilds are reduced signifigantly. Famine, Plague, displaced masses etc.

Toss in the geopolitical ramifications. Refugees flooding across boarders, crime, limited resources for your own people. Age old animosities, think the Balkans or Eastern Europe and Africa won't turn into a powder keg in such an event as so many ethnic groups don't strike one another? Or countries anexing areas that do have food or food capacity. Or retaliation from one country to another for failing to aid when it was asked for? Or countries giving aid and charging for it, then moviing in with troops to collect what is owed.

there are so many places to go.

And then we also have the failing of governments. Either they failed, or they were destroyed. So, you would have ALOT of small fiefdoms starting up. Isolated towns who could withstand the hoardes of refugees.

And, a few military outposts, or even refugee or supply centers where the military was able to maintain order and control. These would be either die in short order, or become very organized and then a strong regional power.