Combating Climate Change in Atlantis

Having a long standing empire means facing more than just the enemies that challenge you. Ageless forces of nature were always an issue in the development of the land that would fall into forgotten legend, and building something that took advantages of those changes was what helped the civilization be remembered as so advance. Beyond the raging volcanic fires, the ocean winds, the violent earth, and the chaotic energies of the atmosphere, were the life giving waters that surrounded their home. It was adapting to the ocean that was what made life easier.

The true continent of Atlantis did not start as such a lofty place. The inhabitants settled within the caldera of an ancient volcano that was long dormant, but were surrounded with other active mountains. Much like the Yellowstone caldera, the Atlantean caldera hosted a wide variety of hydrothermal wonders, including hot springs, geysers, and other geological wonders. Coming off the serious Ice Age that gripped the planet, it was a good place to be.

Game was not abundant on the islands that formed the Atlantean Cradle, and farming plots were restricted to a few of the more fertile islands in the chain. While a few of the inland swamps were home to some reptiles, including snakes, turtles, and crocodilian species, as well as small rodents, most of the food came from the sea. This meant that to be close to the food source, was to build on the coast in port villages. It was not an easy task.

Of the fertile islands, with their gentle slopes to the sea, the first of the sea side villages were constructed. On the outside ring of the caldera, building was less successful on the steeper slopes, and ships had to frequently sail around half the island to reach the other docks. Wood and the resources needed to fasten it did not come from the islands so much as from the main continents, which made it difficult to maintain the villages should they fall into disrepair. But they managed accordingly, up until the first ocean surge.

At a period of time the first ocean rise occurred from the warming climate and the melting ice, it caused a surge that swamped many of the villages within a few years time. Resources were secured and relocated, but this meant pushing back into farmlands or up steeper grades, it was not something that was the easiest to do. The loss of living areas was a critical blow, and the people knew that they had to plan ahead of the tides. Without the supply of a steady source of wood with which to build, the people turned to the stone around them.

As a volcanic chain the Atlantean cradle was composed of mainly igneous rock. Limestone, a sedimentary rock, was not available to the islands and thus not used in the construction of the buildings to come. Unlike most of the island chain's rocks, granite cliffs were found on the interior of the caldera's western edge. Although typically formed deep underground through the slow cooling of magma, it is likely that it was once a part of the crust, before the old volcano pierced it and forced it upwards. However it was formed, it provided the building material for many projects to come.

Honing their skills of rock shaping, the Atlanteans used large slabs of granite to buffer their shores and create a series of steps that moved inland. Similar steps were carved into the steep sides of the caldera and used as a foundation. Port villages were then constructed further back from the steps, and docks and immediate activity areas for ships were constructed on large buoyant platforms that were set with an edge on the lowest step. Ropes and pulleys with weights were constructed to tether the platforms to the mainland.

In time, as the ocean levels rose, the platform would rise as the water level surpassed certain thresholds and would lift off its foundation on the first step. Due to the force of the tethers and weights, the platform would be pulled back towards the main land and slide into place on the next step, effectively raising the ports to accommodate the height of the ocean. Periodically, platforms and docks were modified or rebuilt, but the step work of the sea edge allowed them to adjust to the changes. The concept of the moving port cities of Atlantis contributed to their reputation as the incredibly advanced civilization they are remember as.

Climate Change

The large topic in the world is the threat of climate change. How real is it, is it the warming of the planet, is it going to cool down, are humans the problem, or is everything out of our ability of control? Any way it is approached, no one is sure of the right answer.

In Atlantis, thousands of years ago, climate was on a great changing pattern. At the rise of the empire the north was still covered in ice and snow, and modern humans were still clustered in Africa and parts of the Middle East where it was much warmer. As the continent of Atlantis was in the ocean, they observed milder temperatures, and were heated by the warm currents of the Gulf Stream. However, over time, they saw the ice wane, and the ocean water rise higher. In essence, it was a form of climate change unknown to us today.

Although the course was slow, over the next gap of time that for over reasons is absent from our history, the ice melted, the oceans destroyed many coastal civilizations, and Atlantis itself ceased to exist. The reasons for the disappearances and the shift in climate are tied together, but in a way that remains a mystery. The fact is that climate change has occurred during human history already, so why is it a question that it isn't happening today?

Just like the ocean's rise in the past, melting today are a lesser scale is threatening to cover islands that harbor life. A few South Pacific Islands may not exist in 50 years, if the water level rises more than just a meter. Evidence of this process in the past can be seen in the pyramid off Okinawa, the road in the Bahamas, and the various underwater villages lining the Mediterranean. These are all considered to have "sunk" into the sea, but the truth is that the land remained in the same place, while the water raised in level.

Climate change today is considered to be a slow process, and uncertain by different theories and political interference. It may not be directly human related, but the temperature in certain aspects is going up, even if the change fluctuates over a number of years. Like all systems that are dynamic, a steady change in one direction and only that direction is impossible. Change occurs, and the system shifts because of the change.

The causes of such a change are natural to start, but can be augmented by certain activities. The planet has been warming up, but it is possible to accelerate that just by living only, much like microscopic organisms constructed the atmosphere over time. Humans are much larger, and capable of altering our environment. When the system changes in any variable in this dynamic world, something has to change to counter that action. This is true in all things immersed in physics, it is certainly true of the planet and us.

As for the opposition, people like to believe that high levels of carbon dioxide are harmless because they have been on the planet before. This is true, but the climate was much warmer, there wasn't ice at the poles, and had much more water covering the surface. It may have existed before, but the conditions were different as well.

Regarding the uncertainties of the change, natural events can shift the warming trend the other way by simply happening on their own. Super volcano eruptions, asteroid strikes, and solar spots or diminished activities are all ways to induce a cooling effect that could reset the climate. Once again, it is the dynamic system at work.

So when thinking about the confusion of climate change and the conflicting opinions, remember that change happens, and we live in a system that adjusts for each of those changes. Don't let the opinions of those working for an agenda sway you if you believe differently, and know that your contributions can also help out. It is our home and it may change, but we can too, because the world will change regardless of what we wish it to do.

Life Blood Neglected

The blood of the living societies is water, while the blood of technology and the modern way of business is energy. Both are vitally important for running a country efficiently, and both are largely neglected. The life blood of the country of the US has long been ignored, and it will lead to its downfall if the neglect continues on.

If the country is to get back on its feet, it needs to control its water. Too much, too little, not enough, all we hear are complaints based on what nature supplies. There is never incentive to seek a solution to the problem. If it were to exist, then business could operate normally and without dispute over who uses what. There would also be extensions of growing areas across the country, and wildlife would benefit as well.

With energy, after water has been settled, it would be much easier to approach energy issues. By restructuring the pathways around the country, and by encouraging new sources that are based on the elements, and not on life that used to exist, then the country will make a positive step forward. If there is nothing done, then the problem will only get worse.

Nothing changes for the better if the blood is left alone to dry and/or stop flowing.