Poll: - A Worldwide Crisis -

[Spoonius]

This is for a narrative I'm writing. The options listed above are meant to represent worldwide events that have a disastrous effect on all of mankind. I'm not necessarily talking about extinction, or about the Apocalypse. Some aren't even events, but rather worsening conditions that have the potential to culminate in a catastrophic way.

I want to know which of them you believe to be the most probable. Don't just vote for your favourite, and if you can, please contribute the reasoning behind your choice.

And if you think of another one, I'll add it

NOTE: You may have noticed that there's no "Zombie Apocalypse" option. Guess why.

 

[Sleekgiant]

I'm going other because it can be a combination of things, like both an economic collapse plus overpopulation

 

[Marine Mike]

Overpopulation leading to epidemics.

 

[Asturiel]

Ok the most probable is the squirrel and dolphin coalition to take back their land, but my vote goes towards nuclear/chemical/controversial war because I will never use other! NEVER!

So the nuclear/chemical/controversial war because we can't keep ourselves in check. Somebodies going to get pissed and sour grapes all of us!

 

[SMILEYkyle21]

virus outbreak.... of a zombie kind!!!! mwhahahaha
sorry

 

[Motti]

Aside from the fact that all of these options have happened and will happen again eventually, I think that a large scale war (as in World War Three) is the most likely.

 

[stutheninja]

Personally i agree with the messed up kid in GTA 4 who said we need to kill the weak and old through involuntary euthanaisa.

 

[The Heik]

The options listed above are meant to represent worldwide events that have a disastrous effect on all of mankind. I'm not necessarily talking about extinction, or about the Apocalypse. Some aren't even events, but rather worsening conditions that have the potential to culminate in a catastrophic way.

I want to know which of them you believe to be the most probable. Don't just vote for your favourite, and if you can, please contribute the reasoning behind your choice.

And if you think of another one, I'll add it

NOTE: You may have noticed that there's no "Zombie Apocalypse" option. Guess why.

- War of any kind is highly unlikely, as any country that would try and start a war in this day and age would get smacked down by the rest of the world.

- Viruses have gone plague level before, and they've never wiped out a big enough portion of the world to cause an "end".

- If overpopulation became an issue, then the affect governments would just implement a child limit rule, and we'd go back down again.

- Economies have collapsed on an almost generational basis, and humanity has always bounced back.

- With the possible exception of the world blowing up, no terrestrial force has enough reach to get rid of us all.

- I personally think that extraterrestrial is the most likely, as the universe is a huge, extremely powerful unknown, and even our own sun is a very volatile thing, where something as common as a coronal discharge can potentially strip all life from earth.

- Zombie Apocalypse? Dear god I hope so. Means that I'll be able to raid an army ammo dump and finally wield a minigun.

 

[Divine Miss Bee]

viruses and bacteria evolve at a ridiculous rate, because of how quickly they reproduce. plus, biological warfare is becoming alarmingly trendy. so, i cast my vote with infection.

 

[Seerio]

All of these except war are natural, guaranteed occurrences. Overpopulation will probably hit first though.

 

[BonsaiK]

The options listed above are meant to represent worldwide events that have a disastrous effect on all of mankind.

The thing is, almost all of these events only really affect some of mankind.

War isn't a threat to humanity. The big nuclear war people have been predicting ever since nukes were invented will never happen. Chemical weapons are rarely used and not even that effective anyway (which is why they're rarely used). As for conventional conflicts there have always been plenty of those and they've been consistently proven to do absolutely nothing to dent the state of humanity as a whole.

Same for viruses etc. 20 years ago pundits were predicting that AIDS would have killed us by now. Guess not. Humans are good at developing immunities too. Some people are actually immune to the AIDS virus now, nobody saw that coming.

World population is starting to level out to about 9 billion people according to UN predictions. That's a number the planet can support pretty easily as long as we live sustainably and stop burning coal. More people on the planet actually increases humanity's chances of survival.

If the world economy collapses someone will just start a new one.

Natural disasters are probably the biggest threat (whether those caused by "climate change", normal weather activity or something like a meteor hitting) but humanity is pretty good at adapting to changing circumstances and solving problems. Frankly I'm not too concerned.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

Overpopulation and total economic collapse are very closely related. Neither our population nor our economy is stable and both of the mare already showing major problems.

 

[Kortney]

Aside from the fact that all of these options have happened and will happen again eventually, I think that a large scale war (as in World War Three) is the most likely.

I don't understand how World War III could happen. These days the economies of the world are all interlinked. For example, if China went to attack the United States, they would be loosing more than they are gaining. The huge trade relationships the large (and powerful) countries have with each other guarantees no war, at least in the violent sense of things.

Trade is one of, if not the most important thing to a country and a full scale war would bankrupt that. I don't think World War 3 will happen in the foreseeable future because there would be no point. Countries could get away with (and even profit from) World wide war in the 1910's and 40's but these days I think it would hurt both sides too much economically.

But that's just my view on things, and people are more than welcome to explain where I'm wrong or misguided. I know war never changes, but I can't see a huge war happening.

I think the biggest crisis to the human race is overpopulation and the use of resources.

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

Anime. It's already started. It's too late for me, but you might still be able to save yourselves.

 

[Crowns18]

zynga beating valve at the march mayhem this year

 

[mcgroobber]

im gonna go with all of the above except aliens

 

[The Tommunist]

I can't pick several options.

So i picked the 'other'

a combination of the first 4 options.

 

[Good morning blues]

Honestly, I think that the likeliest cause of a mass human disaster is global warming. Drought, desertification, storms, the spread of disease, pollution... it's all in there.

Infectious disease is the other likeliest candidate. The way we use antibiotics is really quite irresponsible, and it's totally possible to create an antibiotic-resistant superbacteria that will be able to spread any number of ways.

 

[Spoonius]

The thing is, almost all of these events only really affect some of mankind.

Up until today they have. But why does that make them irrelevant? We have no idea what the future will hold, and any of the listed events could theoretically pose a threat to our general existence.

War isn't a threat to humanity. The big nuclear war people have been predicting ever since nukes were invented will never happen. Chemical weapons are rarely used and not even that effective anyway (which is why they're rarely used). As for conventional conflicts there have always been plenty of those and they've been consistently proven to do absolutely nothing to dent the state of humanity as a whole.

You seem to be forgetting the prospect of future research, developments and technological advancement in these fields. The potential capabilites of future weapons are frightening, trust me.

More people on the planet actually increases humanity's chances of survival.

Sorry, but could you explain this to me in greater detail? I'm interested now

I don't understand how World War III could happen. These days the economies of the world are all interlinked. For example, if China went to attack the United States, they would be loosing more than they are gaining. The huge trade relationships the large (and powerful) countries have with each other guarantees no war, at least in the violent sense of things.

Trade is one of, if not the most important thing to a country and a full scale war would bankrupt that. I don't think World War 3 will happen in the foreseeable future because there would be no point. Countries could get away with (and even profit from) World wide war in the 1910's and 40's but these days I think it would hurt both sides too much economically.

Because at the moment, they're financially stable enough to comfortably maintain peace.

But what happens if nations become desperate? What happens if survival becomes a higher priority than cooperation? I'm not just talking about military threats against a country, but also severe internal problems or disasters (gradual or sudden) that render a country's infrastructure incapable of supporting itself. What happens when one nation needs what another can't give, and conquest becomes the only guaranteed means of survival?
This is just one example.

Not all wars are fought for financial or political reasons.

Zombie Apocalypse? Dear god I hope so. Means that I'll be able to raid an army ammo dump and finally wield a minigun.

I love it how everyone always pictures themselves as a survivor. Who's to say that you won't become one of the very first zombies? I mean, for there to be zombie hordes, shitloads of people have to be infected in the first place, right?

 

[A Raging Emo]

Overpopulation, Virus/Infection and Nuclear/Chemical/Conventional war seem to be the most likely.