Speculative fiction has a long history of taking the issues of the day and reframing them in a new context with the hope that people will look at them in a new way. Our "unprecedented" times are bringing all sorts of old ways and old thinking back to the forefront. On Tuesdays, I present "what if?" questions. Previously, the intent was as an idea generator. It still is. But now, I ask that you really think about all the repercussions that these ideas will have. If only these were just thought exercises.
What if we do completely run out of water?
Unless science can find a way to produce water on a mass level, then life on Earth will end. That wouldn't happen though, unless somehow everywhere stopped having rain and snow. My city's water is from a spring from a mountain snow melt.
ReplyDeleteWell, yeah, we couldn't run out completely. We have the oceans. But some areas are really running dry, which is where this question came from.
DeleteFor certain some of us are going to be running out of water and a number of dystopian stories are based on just that. None of them end well. If we totally ran out of potable water (I assume that is what is meant) - a lot of life is going to disappear and we'll probably be one of those species.
ReplyDeleteI did mean potable water, but as I didn't specify that, the question isn't bound by it. When I go vague, you can interpret the question any way you want.
Deletesimple those that don't have will move to those that have
DeleteYup, very true.
DeleteThat would be our end. It’s scary especially when I saw a program about how certain areas in California is drying up. Places that people could boat on just last year is basically gone. Scary.
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason why this topic interested me...
DeleteScary idea
ReplyDeleteVery.
DeleteIf that means, we would never see rain or see snow melting, well, that looks close to catastrophic ... Unless some way is found to manufacture water in humungous quantities ... it would have fatal impacts on all living beings, plants and animals ... end of life on earth?
ReplyDeleteSeems like a when more than an if. Scary Mad Max stuff.
ReplyDelete