Drawing on your knowledge of climate change projections, write a first person narrative of a day-in-the-life in a context in which as a society we implement significant climate adaptation and/or mitigation strategies. What does 2050 look like in your life under those conditions?
I wake up to the sound of birds chirping and deer rustling through the streets. Sunshine filters through my window, the photovoltaic screen charging my electronics. When I was younger, I didn’t think humanity as we knew it would make it to 2050. Now I go to work as a farmer. Not on a field, but in a massive industrial aquaponics center. Advancements in the technology and government interest has made this a major source of food in America. These farms can be put almost anywhere with access to decent water. The railbus stops just a few minutes walk from my house and can get me across the city and beyond in less than 20 minutes. I walk outside and appreciate the crisp air, something that I never thought I would be able to do growing up in New York City. Before stopping at the train I grab some breakfast, a bacon egg and cheese with an Arizona sweet tea. Some things never change. Well, not exactly as the quality of these ingredients compared to the price is noticeably better. In fact almost all food has become better quality, for mostly the same price or sometimes cheaper compared to when I was a kid. You can thank people like me for that. Technologically advanced farming methods have allowed for far more efficient land use, energy use, and higher quality animal feed. Of course, many abstain from meat, but the demand isn’t going anywhere soon. While sitting on the train I have time to think. As a kid I knew there were thousands of dangers facing humanity. Climate change was pushing each of them further and further to their extremes. It seemed obvious to many of us even back then, but only now do so many realize they were wrong to halt progress. Humanity still has its wars, its atrocities, and its tragedies, but on a broad scale, we have calmed down in the past 10 years. More sustainable practices and better technology have removed a lot of the scarcity that once drove humans to commit horrible acts. I was right to think change was inevitable as a kid, but wrong about the method. I saw a future of death and destruction, but thanks to the hard work of millions, humanity built a sustainable future for itself.