Chapter 126 Planetary Catastrophe_1
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Crisis, Year 28, September.
The super large-scale cold cyclone storm brewing over the Arctic had now amassed enough energy to break through the high-pressure ring and head south at any moment.
Once the high-pressure ring was breached, the cold cyclone storm would rapidly intensify, potentially reaching a planetary-scale storm with a wind force level of 24 (wind speeds exceeding 103 meters per second).
Such a storm would be an unbearable burden for humanity, no structure could withstand it, and wherever the storm passed, it would wreak destruction, desolation, and devastation.
United Nations Global Disaster Prevention and Control Headquarters, Central Monitoring Hall.
In front of the hall was a massive screen displaying real-time global weather surveillance data, vividly presenting the storm's real-time information.
In front of the big screen, more than 6,000 experts from various disciplines were busy at work, including staff related to the 24 Synchronous Light Rings. The headquarters were also equipped with the world's most powerful supercomputing center.
Lin Sen was standing beneath the giant monitoring screen, looking at the three super large-scale cold cyclones forming over the Arctic Circle, one planetary-scale (wind force level above 24) and two continental-scale (wind force level above 22).
"'The Day After Tomorrow' has arrived," said Lin Sen with a sigh, but no one knew what he was referring to.
In Lin Sen's previous life, a film called "The Day After Tomorrow" had been released, causing a powerful social response.
The movie depicted a planetary-scale disruption of ocean currents due to freshwater from melting Arctic glaciers blocking the "thermohaline circulation," ultimately resulting in the formation of super cold cyclone storms that dropped temperatures by 100 degrees in some areas.
By the end of the film, the entire world was covered in ice and snow, overturned ships, the towering Statue of Liberty, and the skyscraper-filled cities all became ice sculptures, as the Earth entered an ice age.
The film's final words were, "It may be half a year, or it may be 'The Day After Tomorrow'."
The movie indeed exaggerated in its artistic processing, but the messages it conveyed were not embellished in any way; disasters can strike when we least expect it.
Bringing his thoughts back to the present.
Lin Sen asked Zhuang Yu beside him, "Do you have a plan to deal with this storm? Are you confident you can weaken it or prevent it from causing catastrophic impacts globally?"
Zhuang Yu respectfully replied, "Mr. Lin Sen, I'm sorry! This storm surpasses any in history; it is a planetary-scale event that is nearly impossible for human intervention.
"The impact it's predicted to have is 100,000 times that of the Younger Dryas event."
Lin Sen, "Can't the 24 Synchronous Giant Reflective Mirrors interfere with it or weaken it? Or change its southward direction?"
Zhuang Yu, "We have verified 37 plans and conducted data simulations with supercomputers; not one can truly interfere with such a planetary-scale storm.
"We even considered detonating nuclear bombs at key points in the high-pressure ring to generate a controlled explosion and guide the planetary-scale storm before it becomes too powerful.
"This plan is also unfeasible, or rather, we've missed the optimal opportunity.
"Firstly, the high-pressure ring is too expansive. Using nuclear bombs over such an extensive area would require dozens of them, with consequences that are equally unpredictable—no one could bear such an outcome, and so such plans were undoubtedly rejected.
"Secondly, we actually weren't fully prepared; the best time to guide the storm would have been earlier this year.
"Even if we could have guided the storm then, the resulting disaster would have been tremendous. Without proper preparation, the damage it could cause us might have been even greater, so we hoped it would happen later.
"If we had used nuclear guidance last year, the storm wouldn't have had the power to break through the high-pressure ring yet.
"Indeed, last year the countries of the world realized that humanity needed to move underground, but what we lacked was time; we didn't have enough time to prepare.
"We have completely lost the ability to respond to such natural disasters."
Lin Sen sighed softly, this was far beyond his expectations; the people of this era were undoubtedly very capable.
Their response strategies were not flawed, but unexpectedly, a destructive planetary-scale disaster descended upon them.
The Synchronous Light Ring Project could ameliorate some local climates, but was powerless against planetary-scale climate disasters.
Lin Sen remained silent for a long time, with no one knowing what he was pondering.
Zhuang Yu continued, "This incident also tells us that in the face of disaster, there's never such a thing as being well-prepared. 'Man conquers nature' is just wishful thinking.
"The Synchronous Light Ring Project is too weak against such a planetary-scale climate disaster, or rather, we humans are too weak.
"We once believed that we could overcome any difficulty, but we have never even witnessed real difficulties. In the face of such natural disasters, we, the frail, are powerless, and the Synchronous Light Ring Project, where we placed our hopes, can do nothing."
Lin Sen, "How large is the human loss estimated to be from this disaster?"
Zhuang Yu, his voice choked with emotion, "According to assessments, even with all the preparation we've done globally, post-storm human fatalities will be… between 400 million to 800 million… and regions above 40 degrees latitude will no longer be habitable for human populations after the disaster."
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"The main issue lies with some countries, too much dallying and hesitation, arguing back and forth, resulting in the loss of the best evacuation timing, and delaying the construction of underground shelters as well.
"We can hardly afford it even now, despite all nations around the world desperately transferring and accepting populations, the effectiveness is minimal.
"Every day, representatives from United Nations member states argue incessantly over accepting and transferring populations, and some regions have even experienced large-scale conflicts.
"Mr. Lin Sen... I'm almost in despair now, I know I shouldn't feel this way.
"But facing such a disaster, I can't think of how humanity should respond. The performances of many nations among humans have been too disappointing. Sometimes, I wish the natural disaster would come sooner, to end all of this."
Lin Sen looked into Zhuang Yu's eyes:
"This is a planetary-scale disaster, humanity has indeed never encountered anything like it.
"How to confront it, we cannot find any reference from history.
"But there's nothing that can truly drive us to despair, not even death!
"What you regard as a despairing natural disaster might only be akin to a normal breeze for the Trisolarans.
"Trisolarans face almost exclusively star-level apocalyptic disasters, yet they have survived time after time.
"Humans should also learn to be strong, we must learn to be strong; it is a step that human civilization must take."
Zhuang Yu's expression remained desperate, "Mr. Lin Sen, you understand, we simply cannot learn from the Trisolarans.
"Their society is completely different from ours; we can hardly take that step.
"The latest research by the PDC Social Science Advisory Group, based on information from the Trisolaris game and thought studies, suggests that Trisolaran society is a societal society.
"It's somewhat similar to the society of ants; they have individual consciousness, but they also possess a collective consciousness. In their minds, the distinction between the individual and the whole is not very clear.
"Their thoughts are transparent, and an individual's thoughts will also be expressed in the group. The propositions of life and death don't occupy an important place in their minds.
"This also leads them not to fear death particularly; they fear loneliness more than death.
"As long as the survival of the whole can be assured, they are willing to sacrifice themselves.
"They almost share a collective mind; the boundaries between you, me, and him in thought are not very clear. Therefore, they have an unmatched advantage when facing disasters.
"Just like ants forming an ant ball when encountering a fire, rolling over the flames, the ants on the periphery of the ant ball use their own bodies to protect the ants inside, ensuring the survival of the whole with the sacrifice of the individuals.
"We can't do this, as peoples from all over the world are being organized to migrate to lower latitude countries, causing severe disagreements and debates over many issues, and conflicts could break out at any time.
"Despite forming a community of shared destiny, with the PDC mediating in the middle, many differences are insurmountable. When it comes to self-interest, no one wants to give ground, and even if they do, it is in exchange for other benefits."
PS: The relationship between wind force levels and wind speed is roughly established by the author based on the wind speed level formula, but this formula is not accurate.
National-level, windstorms above level 18:
Level 18 windstorm, central wind speed of 61 meters per second or more,
Level 19 windstorm, central wind speed of 68 meters per second or more,
Level 20 windstorm, central wind speed of 75 meters per second or more.
Continent-level, windstorms above level 21:
Level 21 windstorm, central wind speed of 82 meters per second or more,
Level 22 windstorm, central wind speed of 89 meters per second or more,
Level 23 windstorm, central wind speed of 96 meters per second or more.
Planetary-level, windstorms above level 24:
Level 24 windstorm, central wind speed of 103 meters per second or more,
Level 25 windstorm, central wind speed of 110 meters per second or more,
Level 26 windstorm, central wind speed of 118 meters per second or more,
…"