This is a list taken from http://edro.wordpress.com/collapsing-cities/ This Edro.wordpress.com site seems to be a fancy blog site, based on wordpress software or something to that effect. Please do a bunch of exploring, of this site. The basic site is http://edro.wordpress.com/ and there is a long list of very interesting topics to consider, lots of blog type posts with a great many links to important resouce information. This world has so many problems in its existence, and coming to roost, its time to become familier with them.-Candace
The Dynamics of Collapse (of Cities).
The following exhibit lists the most probable [leading] causes that would drive the first wave of the world cities to collapse. [Note: The data is listed in random order]
- Mass suicide as a result of neurological disorder caused by mercury [or other heavy metal] poisoning.
- Tourism [euphemistically, eco-tourism]
- Accumulation of toxic pollution in the environment
- Overwhelmed by mounting waste: agricultural, municipal (garbage and sewage) and industrial
- Poor global harvest/Food scarcity [Humans are one harvest away from starvation!]
- Running Dry (Running out of freshwater)
- Human-induced climate change
- Increased UV radiation
- Foodborne, waterborne, airborne and insectborne infectious diseases (viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal, prion)
- Droughts
- Sinking into the ground (large-scale subsidence caused by overuse of groundwater supplies)
- Global collapse of pollinators
- Extreme climatic events (including extreme rain events, floods)
- Famine
- Collapse of natural pest regulation systems
- Failing ecosystems
- Societal collapse
- Moral decline (unethical behavior, unsustainable lifestyles, overconsumption)
- Fuel shortage
- Spread of pandemic diseases
- Industrial accidents (including radionuclide, chemical and oil spills)
- Deforestation
- Epidemics of plant and animal diseases
- Desertification; Soil degradation (salination, erosion, loss of topsoil and fertility)
- Economic collapse
- Land use change
- Habitat destruction
- War (conventional and nuclear)
- Collapse of fisheries/fish species
- Civil conflict
- Poverty
- Overshoot of Carrying Capacity; Increased ecological footprint; Overpopulation (esp. DCs*)
- Inordinate prevalence of psychopathology caused by exponential growth economy: money fetishism, industrialism, militarism, atomic lifestyles, consumerism, throwaway culture, dysfunctional societies …
- Human-enhanced natural catastrophes including earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, tropical storms, cyclones, extreme rainfall events, landslides, volcanic eruptions, droughts and wildfires
*DCs: Developed Countries
