A Modest Proposal for the Public on How They May Make Use of the Opportunities Offered by the Rapidly Changing Climate of This Planet
Muğla, Turkey
2022, Senior, Creative Writing
It is widely recognized to a reasonable degree that the planet we, the human race, inhabits today is, as far as we are aware, singular with regard to the fact that it hosts intelligent life forms. The true measure of the intelligence of said life forms (namely ourselves) is debatable, though that is not at the moment the subject of this discourse. Yet I must say before I proceed that the lamentably awkward position we find ourselves in today may very well not be a result of our lack of intelligence, but more from our excess of it. Indeed, is it not always for hubris that we have been stricken down in the past? But let me not bring morbid thoughts to your mind! This proposal, humble though it may be, is meant purely for the pleasure of those who read it, who, if they take it upon themselves to heed the modest advice within, may find themselves to be at a great advantage over their less extensively read peers.
In this glorious day and age of progression and globalization, it can be considered an extraordinary feat of ignorance to not be aware of the concept of climate change, as it has been termed. Who has not heard of it, when it is trumpeted from the rooftops by school children, debated in conference rooms by the most influential people in this world, and idly discussed on television by daily reporters who choose to ignore the nagging doubt that they are not entirely certain what they are talking about? Then, of course, there are those who dismiss climate change as a mistake in calculations. “These things happen; scientists, you know, always think they’re smarter and better than the rest of us. No need to panic… now about this new oil site…”
Naturally, these skeptics must gently be reprimanded. The evidence regarding climate change is indisputable. Regardless, scientists have indeed been misguiding people, sowing the seeds of superfluous fear and anxiety. They speak of food crops failing, unimaginable heat. They say that the ocean will rise and claim one island after another, just as it once supposedly claimed the civilization of Atlantis as a punishment against its citizens for their malice and moral corruption, caused by the hubris and cruelty that accompanied their advancement in knowledge. Yet this is only the beginning, our scholarly scientists claim, waving about bits of paper to show the validity of their words. Look, look, they say, there is more to come! Storms to rip apart the greatest metropolises; death in the streets, death in the cities, insatiable death haunting all lands until even It is satisfied, or until there are no more lives left to collect.
Terror and despair take hold of our stalwart people when they hear this litany of inevitable disasters. Our end is coming, many of them cry—the apocalypse, doomsday, Armageddon, Ragnarök, call it what you like. Death has always been inevitable, but this is the final death. No privileged progeny shall we leave behind by the end of this century. These are the last days; we, the unfortunate souls, have been condemned to witness them.
But we should not be wasting our precious time, for attempts at the preservation of humanity are futile. Humankind does not understand what an opportunity this is for our race! At last, because of climate change, because of our unstoppable, unavoidable collective demise, we are finally freed from all moral obligations!
What keeps us from doing exactly as we wish? Social expectations. Family obligations. The needs of others. Laws. Fear. Ethics. Conscience. The innate desire to be considered a “good” person. We want to be admired, praised. Flawless. Therefore, we do whatever we believe will earn us the esteem of those people we care about most. We want to be remembered as people that our descendants can aspire to be. We wish to leave behind a respectable legacy, a mark upon the world that will endure for eternity. Generations from now, we want our progeny to remember us and our achievements, our success, our righteousness. So, we stamp down any desire that would condemn us to contempt or disdain in the eyes of others.
Yet now, the world is ending. There is no longer any reason to fear the scorn of others, for our actions will no longer have any meaning. Nothing we do will be of any significance. We will not be remembered in any way. No records shall be left behind for future generations, for there shall be none to pass those chronicles down to. Our actions will fade with us, thus there is no need to value them, weigh them against the standards that have been ingrained in us since our birth. Why should we hide ourselves, when this generation is blessed with the freedom to revel in their true natures?
Everything that you have ever coveted is now within your grasp. Does your daily work bore or tire you? Then cease attending to it. Do you desire to spend your every waking hour entertaining yourself upon your wireless devices? Then do so. Remember that pure gold necklace you so coveted—the one with rubies and emeralds—that new car, that application that you absolutely need? They are yours. When hungry, go to the nearest market, take whatever you wish. Take anything, everything, do not hesitate. Why should anyone stop you? Currency has no meaning anymore; after all, you can’t eat paper or metal, and we will all soon be starving in any event. Toss all worthless money into the fire and watch it burn. Good riddance, too! These are the end times, when we take our final gasping breath of beautiful life before foul, gaseous fumes suffocate us and still our lungs forever. Enjoy the world in whatever way you wish. Why should anyone care what you do? They are only concerned with their own enjoyment and satisfaction.
Chaos, unsurprisingly, will ensue as a result of these actions. But fear not! Chaos is natural—our world was birthed from that most ancient being; it is suitable that it should end thus. Soon, when humans discontinue their occupations, when goods are no longer imported into the metropolitans and the cities no longer contain any food, our primal natures shall surface as, increasingly, we are unable to sustain ourselves. So long we have curbed our instincts, but nature shall spin us back full circle as we begin savaging each other for our daily meals. When food is infinitely more wholesome than green paper with the images of frowning men, then, undoubtedly, we shall begin fighting each other for it. Along the way, those long-hidden grudges, resentments, and hatreds shall again be remembered. That neighbor who wronged you years ago, the cashier who was rude to you, your hidden jealousy of your brilliant brother—when you are starving and it is against these people that you will be fighting for your sustenance, do not feel any shame at the savagery with which you attack them. Truly, civilization has taken us only so far. And, like any intelligent being, when it comes to survival, we will have no scruples. Morals have no part of our brief immediate future.
Thus, we shall end, the human race. We have come so far, gained so much, delved into the depths of knowledge, the darkest secrets of the world and universe that shrouds us. We raised ourselves above other life forms and gloried in our intelligence, our cleverness. Higher and higher we climbed up the mountain of success, never satisfied, always reaching for more, to prove over and over again, we are the greatest, there are none who can match us. It is a shame we could not realize that, with each step we took towards what seemed a brighter future, we tossed another shovelful of dirt out of our shadowed grave.
I have said it before, and I shall say it again: it is not my intention to bring morbid thoughts to your minds, to depress you. What I have just explained is not meant to cause you concern. Climate change shall be our death, but it is also our liberation. Alternative solutions have been presented: stop the production of plastic, stop burning fossil fuels, stop this, stop that. These propositions have been dutifully ignored. Why should we give up our comforts? Answer me, for I wish to know, why? My own proposal, on the other hand, is far easier to execute, for it simply states that we should speed up the inevitable, push ourselves as far as we can, continue to foul our air, our precious oceans, our planet. This is our final breath; make it a deep, hearty one, for we should enjoy it to its fullest. The resulting chaos, savagery, and barbarity is only an unfortunate side effect of our society and world collapsing upon itself. But why should it matter? No one shall know. No one shall remember. There will be none who come after. We’ll all be dead soon, you see. And we’ll carry our secrets to our fire-stained tomb.
Reflection
This piece is the result of reading Jonathan Swift’s well-known essay “A Modest Proposal.” While reading it, I was utterly charmed by his dark and witty humor and captivated by his brutal writing. Nature has been a steady source of inspiration for me, and I am particularly drawn to ocean and waterways and the dangers they face. For the past two years I have lived next to the Aegean Sea, so I see firsthand its beauty and majesty, which has always motivated me to research ways to protect our beautiful oceans.