The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

“ To quote some paleo-climate experts ‘Climate change is redundant “ To quote some paleo-climate experts ‘Climate change is redundant.’ It’s not that the climate doesn’t change, but that it changes so often” – Paul Martin p.61 Photograph by NASA, Hurricane Rita Tornados Floods Blizzards Heat Waves Hurricanes Also… Earthquakes Volcanoes Photograph by Unknown Earth is ever changing.

Chapter 3: The City Without Us Photo illustration by John Blackford; original photograph by Cameron Davidson NYC would flood without humans controlling 753 water pumps Within a half an hour water would close tunnels, leading to impassable trains left on their tracks Gas lines ignite causing fires Built structure made from steel would corrode after years of being submerged in salt water, collapsing like trees in a forest Amsterdam, Chicago, San Francisco, Hong Kong Photograph by Randall Scott Hornung

Chapter 8: What Lasts Photograph from www.fresno.k12.ca.us Photograph from www.nujphoto.org Highly reinforced, excellent grade of concrete, which varies throughout the world Quality masonry, such as the Acropolis or underground cities such as Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey Mount Rushmore carved from Precambrian granite will remain for 7.2 million more years Photograph from www.encounterturkey.com

Chapter 9: Polymers are forever Active Ingredients:  Salicylic Acid (2%) (For treatment of acne) Inactive Ingredients:  Water (Aqua), Juglans Regia (Walnut) Shell Powder, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Zea Mays (Corn) Kernel Meal, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cetyl Alcohol, Trithanolamine, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG 100 Stearate, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Extract, Primula Veris Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol, Carbomer, Ceteareth 20, Cetyl Acetate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Chloride, Sorbitol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance (Parfum), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) Ingredients Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Propylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Oxidized Polyethylene, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (Tea), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract (Jojoba), Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract (Bamboo), Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract (Grape), Betula Alba Extract (White Birch), Cucumis Oblongus Extract (Cucumber), Kaolin (White Clay), Saccharomyces Potassium Ferment, Tocopherol, Agar, Polyethylene, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Ultramarine Blue (CI 77007) Photographs and Ingredients from www.drugstore.com Avoiding polymers which do not degrade at any practical time scale, such as polyethylene, polystyrene, acrylic textiles, Plexiglas, polypropylene, polyurethane Jojoba seeds, apricot hulls, coarse sugar, sea salt and/or ground walnut shells decompose quicker Know how and what, plastics are made from Recycled or recyclable construction material

Chapter 11: The World Without Farms Photographs by Randall Scott Hornung Fields would return to forests without maintenance Structures devoured by local flora Fauna would return to inhabit any enclosed structure Without hunting and gathering, lands would return to pre-agricultural states

Chapter 18: Art Beyond Us Noble metals – copper, bronze, gold, platinum, silver Ceramics last, even when smashed Photograph from www.empire.state.ny.us Antimenes Painter photograph from wikimedia.org

Diagram by Jon Lomberg for the Voyager Spacecraft The extreme change in climate can be attributed toward homo sapiens, not so much ‘climate change’. We altered the world with the birth of the Industrial Age. Earth has the ability to heal itself, much like us. Diagram by Jon Lomberg for the Voyager Spacecraft