You Are The Last Person On Earth...

[timeparticle]

Suppose you found that suddenly you were the only person on this entire planet...

Everyone else on this planet vanished, without a trace... no deadly virus killed them, no catastrophe destroyed them and no devastating war obliterated them.... they just were gone.

The planet as it was, was left.... It's damaged biosphere remains the same with the climate, forests, oceans, and skies still altered by man's fingerprint. The earth's ecology is now in your hands.

You have been given the power, from the powers that be, to alter the planet's biosphere, it's ecological systems, it's animals and plants, it's oceans and skies to however you please. You are given immortality, if you so choose to live here. You are alone... but you have a task, if you so choose, to make the planet better....

How would you change the biosphere? Be specific, if you can. Would you use your power to change anything, or would you let the planet heal itself? Would you get rid of the bugs? Would you dominate the animal world with your whims? Your changes will still fall under the laws of nature and physics, so be careful on what you choose to do... it may have dire consequences....

[timeparticle]

Would you create a fantasy like planet with mythical creatures from fairy tale books to keep you company, or a mixture of harsh reality and comfort?

[timeparticle]

Earth Abides...

I read this book when I was a teenager. It was written in 1949, but it had a good handle on how the planet would react without the presence of the human race, over many years.

The smog would clear up quickly, unless a forest fire raged for weeks. The cities would crumble and vegetation would slowly take over. Dog packs were to be watched out for and rats multiplied... for a time.

All this has a logical progression of a changing progression in our countries landscapes. But what if one person, you, were left with the power to change the environment more quickly.

I would be cautious at first, not to unbalance the fragile ecosystems in place. But I would soon experiment with my new found powers.

I would explore a new weather system. I would let it rain, in some moderation to cleans the skies of pollution. The ash, soot and carbon buildup would wash into the oceans and settle on it's floors. The clean, unpolluted clouds wouldn't reflect sunlight and heat into outer space so Global Dimming would cease. But the climate would start to get warmer as the process of Global Warming would still be in effect.

What could I do about the warming trend?

[timeparticle]

Before I look into that problem, did I do something wrong in letting the ocean floor buildup too much pollutants and carbon dioxide, too quickly?

Should I be concerned with anoxia or hypercapnia taking place on the ocean floors because of this?

Did our planet go through a level of extinction before because of this? Mr. Hotinski tried to conclude this...

Two theories explain how stagnation could have caused extinctions. Either it led to anoxia, a lack of oxygen, or to hypercapnia, the buildup of carbon dioxide. "Bacteria use oxygen to decompose organic matter. As they use it up, anoxia occurs, and carbon dioxide is released. It’s the opposite of photosynthesis," says Hotinski. "Anoxia in shallow and deep water is recorded in the geologic record. It may have killed the shore life in surface waters. The record also shows that organisms that are more susceptible to carbon dioxide poisoning were preferentially killed, supporting the theory that hypercapnia occurred."

But were they the result of ocean stagnation? To find out, Hotinski used a general circulation model, a computer representation of the ocean to which a scientist can apply wind stress and temperature changes at the surface. The computer model tracks salinity and temperature and then uses physics to describe the ocean circulation. In her model, Hotinski warmed the poles about 12 degrees C as if a warming trend had occurred: the geologic record suggests that the Triassic period was warmer than its Permian predecessor. "During the End-Permian period, the climate was not dramatically different from today," explains Hotinski. "The major difference is that the continents were grouped together in one big land mass."

The model showed that when Hotinski warmed the poles, the circulation of waters did indeed slow down and stop. The period of stagnation was brief, only a few hundred years, but the reduced overturning of waters was enough to trigger a greater zone of low oxygen levels in both the intermediate waters (beginning at about 100 meters from the surface) and on the sea floor.

On the other hand, carbon dioxide did not build up significantly. "I increased the amount of phosphate in the upwelling water to boost productivity and to see if hypercapnia would occur." In her model, phosphate is the main nutrient, and increasing it enlarges the amount of organic matter produced. More organic matter leads to greater carbon dioxide levels when it is decomposed. But even the addition of 50 percent more phosphate did not cause carbon dioxide to build up to the level needed for hypercapnia. Concludes Hotinski, "Ocean stagnation would cause deep water anoxia, but it would not cause the carbon dioxide buildup needed for hypercapnia."

Maybe I should hold off on the cleansing rains for a time...

[mkirkpatrick]

Thanks timeparticle for creating this thread,it brings back
memories I often had when I was younger,I would imagine
that I was the only human on the planet,I just woke up one morning and everyone on Earth had vanished,what would be the first thing I would do?



regards michael.

[timeparticle]

As the last and only person on earth, maybe I should try and tackle something simpler.

What if I got rid of all the pesky common house flies. Then, there would be no flies to bother me, or any other animal... ever. What good are they, any way. They carry bacteria and other microbes. Can this be good?

Non-biting flies have developed a close relationship with human habitation over many centuries which has basically benefited the fly populations. This association has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, due to the ability of this humble insect to transmit disease. Non-biting flies have adapted to the different niches available within a human population which permit them to feed, grow and reproduce. Their feeding and breeding habits enable these commensal flies to be effective mechanical vectors of disease to humans.

One single fly may carry up to 6,600,000 bacteria (1,250,000 on average) and other micro-organisms (Hint and Metcalf 1974). This makes flies ideal vectors for more than 20 human diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery, diarrhea, poliomyelitis, and several parasitic worms (Graham-Smith, 1914). By massive control of flies, an important contribution to a healthy environment would be made, especially in countries with warm climates, preventing tropical diseases in humans and animals. That is why, in the context of public human and veterinary health, it is a very profitable method.

So, then it will be done... no more flies.

But, then again, what if they carry good bacteria, also. It may be likely that the bacteria the flies carry help the ecosystem break down rotting vegetation and other life forms. And some animals eat fly larva and adult flies for food sustenance. Fly larva or maggots quickly dispose of the smelly bodies of dead animals, which could linger on for days.

I had better hold off on eradicating the common house fly.

[timeparticle]

Ok. I better try something more drastic.

What if I started over. I completely re-created the ecosystem of this planet. I will create a new Genesis of Earth. This time, though, Natural selection will be altered. The most compassionate and unselfish will continue to survive... Could that be possible?

Charles Darwin himself believed that morality plays a role in human evolution by natural selection. A high standard of morality may give the individual and his children no advantage over other group members, Darwin wrote, yet it works to give his tribe an advantage over other tribes.

Thus, over time, groups whose members value morality or practice unselfish altruism are more likely to survive and thrive, passing on the genetic traits that encourage ethical behavior such as empathy, fairness and generosity.

From the simplest of life forms will come love and support and long lasting help. This help will guide the more complex life forms navigate through the complexities of everyday life.
The animal kingdom will learn co-operation across different species.....

Hum... I wonder if we are experiencing that now, but are blind to it....

Well, anyway, a new Genesis may be the way to go...

[timeparticle]

The Genesis would create life on earth balanced in harmony and compassion. Death could be unheard of. A thriving biosphere of endearing happiness, it would be.

I probably should install an alarm of certain proportions within the genes of all life forms in case the biosphere and planet become threatened. This would help me to recognize any threat.

The most simplest of life forms, bacteria and viruses, could be the great alarm bell for the higher animals. Everyone will know of the threat and could fight it. They will send great signals not to be ignored by anyone...

The threat would be anything upsetting the new Genesis to the extent of extreme violation...

That kind of sounds familiar...

For decades environmentalists have warned that ever-rising numbers of people and their impact on the Earth's finite resources could lead to disaster, not only for wildlife and ecosystems but also for human populations. With each passing year, as scientists gather and publish more data that graphically reveal the link between population growth and environmental degradation, those warnings are becoming harder to ignore....

Oh, yes. Well, the alarm bell would only go off if the new Genesis were really in mortal peril...... very close to death and destruction..... like months, or a very few years away from devastation. This would help me to make the changes necessary to help the biosphere survive.

This is quite different from what is happening today, as many in authority would tell us about the ridiculous alarmists...

Anyway, this alarm will be set not to ever come on as long as everything is doing well in the new Genesis.. and only will the alarm sound in the most extreme circumstances.

[labelwench]

An interesting thread, Timeparticle.

Your scenario suggests that all human life has somehow vanished, but what about all of the animals?

Have I suddenly inherited all of the world's pets and factory farmed animals?

If so, I am going to be very busy as it would seem most unkind to not reintegrate these creatures in some manner.

I think I'm going to have to establish a critter "half-way house" for some of these species so that they can relearn their natural coping skills before just sending them on their way.

For company, and transportation, I shall commune with the horse, long the ally of humankind, in times of peace and war.
Perhaps, I shall even recall the unicorn from it's place of hiding.

An immortal would benefit from the company of another immortal, err one became depressed by the loss of loved ones over time.

Labelwench

[labelwench]

Just another thought....

I believe our present planet came equipped with the alarm system that you are suggesting for a future world.

Unfortunately, most of our species has not been paying attention, or has chosen to ignore the escalating warning signs.

In wild populations, when any species exceeds the "carrying capacity of it's habitat", there are dire consequences. Even carnivores, who usually afford each other a wide margin of respect, will turn to preying on other carnivores, and even the less capable of their own kind, when it comes right down to survival.

The northern varying hare is a good example. It reproduces exponentially until the point where it starts having to eat the bark of coniferous trees in winter, a sure sign that the crash is imminent. (This cycle repeats every 7-10 years, and all of the old-timers know that humans should not eat rabbits during the dying year.)

The lynx and other fur-bearers are numerous as they follow the pattern of available food. During the following years, the predator population also crashes, due to starvation and the need to relocate in search of a food source. Balance is restored and the cycle begins anew.

Perhaps the human population is approaching such a threshold?

Labelwench