Bruce's column this month looks at five underheralded ways the world seems to be in deep trouble: global dimming; asteroid strikes, especially those caused by gravitational instability in the solar system; the apparent slowing, then speeding, of the Earth's spin; supernovae and other cosmic disasters; and the fact that the planet is quickly becoming uninsurable -
"Planetary insolvency: How would insurance companies pay for the devastation if an extinction-level asteroid were to collide with Earth? They wouldn't. They'd go broke. Worse yet, storms, floods, fires, and earthquakes could do the job first.
Evidence: A 2002 report issued by reinsurance behemoth Munich Re Group notes that insurance payouts for natural disasters are rising as climate change kicks in and more people in disaster-prone areas buy policies. If the trend continues, by 2050 payments will exceed the combined current GNP of every nation on the planet, no asteroid required.
Implications: In a brief 50 years, Mother Earth will be disrupting human enterprises faster than we can rebuild them. Earth will be bankrupt and no longer a viable commercial concern. What will life be like then? Well, nobody knows."
It seems more and more that, if you're the sort of person who enjoys terriblisma, who feels a sense of gratified awe when contemplating catastrophes from afar, well, these next few decades should keep your plate full of diasters, threats narrowly averted and dangers of which we're only just becoming aware.
On the other hand, if we're lucky, they'll also be full of widespread selfless heroism, a renaissance of innovation and a new vision of planetary responsibility. So it's a crapshoot, really. Play your chips where you will. (thanks for the nudge, drk!)
