I watched a very sobering documentary on National Geographic one Sunday (obviously my sports channels weren't working, right?).
This stuff detailed what the world would be like A.H., or after humans. Sobering thought that the human race would become extinct and not like in the movie I Am Legend. At least there were man-like creatures roaming around. In this documentary, Population Zero, there were no two-legged individuals who walked upright with developed brains and all that you associate with humans. In this documentary, we're all gone!
The video showed how much better off the planet would be without us in it. The noxious fumes that come from our cars would cease (because there are no drivers for these cars), and the air would gradually become cleaner and fresher. The flora would abound, animal species, now near extinction, would experience a surge in numbers and some of the most revered man-made monuments would crumble. The Statue of Liberty would lose her arm and then her head, the Eiffel Tower would lose its top and all those skyscrapers would basically turn into bird sanctuaries.
Cellphones
What really stood out for me was their assertion that cellphones would remain even up to 200 years A.H. And we change them every two months! Also, in some things, the effects of human actions would still be felt even 100 years or more after Homo Sapiens have said adieu. Satellites we once controlled would come crashing to the Earth and all the houses we used to feel warm and snug in become the animals' personal gymnasiums. Sobering thoughts, really, but I'm going on the premise that these people know what they're talking about.
Now there's no fun in hearing that basically, some things would function better if we're not there. Kind of makes me regret every piece of garbage I ever threw somewhere other than in the bin. And even then, how many things do I throw away that I could have recycled? If you follow this thinking, you're going to end up joining Greenpeace!
Imagine Jamaica without humans. The airport would become a quay off the mainland because with no humans around to rehabilitate the Palisadoes, it might get overrun. The birds would take over all the roofs by the shore with no one to to run them away. Highway 2000 would be a race track for donkeys, Riverton wouldn't get any bigger because there would be nobody dumping garbage, and all that horn-honking on our roads would be non-existent because the Accords, SUVs and Bimmers would be parked.
Jamrock would go back to being the lush Xaymaca Columbus found. And all we had to do was tek wey wi self! What a price to pay!
daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com