REPORT 1: A BRIEF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF BEFORE THE MESSAGES FROM JUPITER
(an exerp from RENAISSANCE
IN SPACE by Albert R. Heinlein) 
For the damage to the earth was also breathtaking--literally: the polluting cities, the greenhouse effect, the ozone hole, nuclear accidents, oilspills, biochemical warfare, etc., were bad enough in the 20th Century when only 10% of the planet's population were consuming 80% of the resources, but as the world became modernized and nations democratized and equalized, 10 Billion people demanded fast cars and washing machines and mobile telephones, the burden became too much for the planet. The Atmosphere Crisis of 2058 was the end of the high-octane joy ride. Global shutdown of factories and traffic was the only alternative to asphyxiation, resulting in an economic crash and a restructuring of government to a total world level. Energy rationing, population control, internal combustion engines had to be outlawed. One totalitarian world-spanning Survivalist Government assumed control of the entire planet, strict martial law finally halted the capitalistic disregard for the wanton theft of Earth's limited resources, but also became rather inhumane in their demand for obedience. Civilization slowed way down, populations spread away from the deadly cities, became rural. Telecommunications and computers kept information flowing, survival became very organized. Travel became very limited, walking and bicycling became the only acceptable forms of transport, electric solar motors were allowed only for authorized government use. Still orbiting, SpaceCity eked out an existance by selling science and microwaved power to the Earth. They had lots of solar power but needed air and water and food. They maintained the observation and weather and telecommunications sattelites, and carried on scientific researches, but had to drop mining the moon and the exploration of space for lack of fuel. The zero-gravity industries went bankrupt with no customers on the ground, the tourist trade was dead, many had to leave, air was too expensive for the unemployed. The population of SpaceCity reduced to less than half, 450 people. Maintenance was a problem, there was talk of shutting it down, but everyone knew that would mean Lights Out for Civilization. The World learned to survive, how to stop war-- for a while at least --and how to wait. Then in 2098 the Breakthrough arrived: the Messages from Jupiter. |