In December 2009, world leaders from 193 nations converged on Denmark's Copenhagen with promise that an
agreement would be reached to stop the change from happening. After more than 30 hours of intense negotiations, they failed. It was a turning point for the planet, and the last unified opportunity humanity had to stop the burning, to fix the environmental destruction that was drying up rivers and lakes, melting icebergs and raising the earth's temperature by nearly 4 degrees Celcius (7 degrees Fahrenheit).America's President Barack Obama said the agreement reached was a starting point toward reversing the impact happening from the change, but it was not enough. Paper promises could not save the planet. Rich nations would continue on path to burning up the planet, while poor nations struggled to not fry up.
It was at this time, following Copenhagen, that the visionaries who understood the devastation facing the planet decided to begin building the hidden cities, to save some of the human race. They met in secret in the year 2010 and began the plan to build a haven in every nation of the world, that would serve to save 100,000 people from each nation on earth, salvaging what they could of the diverse cultures, before the planet died. Inside the hidden cities, those selected would be protected from the burning, and be able to have safe shelter while the change happened.
Over the next 10 years, the leaders of nations continued to try and duct tape together protocols and agreements that were supposed to put a halt to the produciton of poisonous greenhouse gas emissions. Yet every year another body of water dried up, and rich vibrant farmland that once grew crops that fed the world were turning into deserts, causing starvation and suffering throughout poor and rich countries. Animal species became extinct, and yet the pollution that was burning holes in the ozone layer continued, killing the natural infrastructure of earth and throwing the harmony of the planet into complete chaos. The change was inevitable and the only salvation for life on earth, the visionaires foretold, would be to save a few. The mission set forth was like Noah's Ark for the future.
Work began quickly in 2010 to build the hidden cities, without support or interference from governments, and while the bureaucrats argued and fought to protect commercial interests, the visionaries discretely put in motion the steps they needed to save humanity from the change.
Welcome to my transmedia journey. Cut 'n paste the tag Haiはい。into Google to find more of this story about what happens to humanity on the brink of climate change,
-Lisa
LISTEN to this part of the story here.
- 14:15 @KipDurney I just use my old Dell computer bag and stuff the camera in one of the padded pockets. Downside...not entirely waterproof. #
- 20:35 tweeting from xbox live. not sure how useful this is... #
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- 00:30 Celeb sighting: Was hanging at 21 Nickels with some friends tonight and local girl Eliza Dushku came in. Prettier in person than on TV #
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- 12:32 Just voted RunKeeper for Best Location Based Mobile App mashable.com/owa #openwebawards #
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- 23:31 Just what I needed to see today, Devin Hester's bare ass #
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- 15:13 @ScottBourne Win a new Canon 5DMKII (or $2500 Gift Cert) from @OPGear & Scott Bourne. Pls RT. Details here: bit.ly/BqU8N #
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Pets were few inside the hidden cities, but many people kept caterpillars, and helped nuture them from worm, to
chrysalis, to butterfly. The process of transformation gave the people of the hidden cities a sense of promise and hope.So many animals, and people, had been lost to the change, that a catepillar represented the chance for emergence from the situation. While the change was happening, some species of caterpillars threatened environments and people when the never ending rains, extended from the period of change to longer seasons, created habitats where the creatures thrived. Some over-thrived.
In Liberia, mass breeding of caterpillars, in an exceptionally wet climate, pushed people out of their own homes. The masses of caterpillars devoured plants and food for other wildlife became scarce. Normally, the caterpillars would not all fully develop, but in the extreme damp conditions the creature's multipled, nearly all growing to full adulthood. It became known as the caterpillar crisis of climate change in Liberia, and consideration was given to spraying the country with chemical pesticides to defeat the munching worms. The threat of poisoning the environment made the authorities decide against any pesticide use, and so the people moved away from the caterpillar infested areas, taking shelter in refugee camps.
While Liberia hated the caterpillars, other parts of the world were marveling at the growth of the species, and the
season of the butterfly, which they welcomed. Millions of butterflies would appear in late summer in parts of the world where the caterpillars thrived, and people would travel from far away places to witness the explosion of colour that took place. Butterflies were like the new spring flowers, and unlike the hairy, black and brown beasts that haunted Liberia, other parts of the world saw the Monarch caterpillar increasing in population and bringing beauty to the landscape.Many people who lived in the hidden cities remembered the seasons of the butterflies with joy, and desired to keep the Monarch caterpillar as pets in their living areas. These pets were hand-fed leaves and grass, and given safe, dark places to build their chrysalis, and time to allow the transformation. When the caterpillar began to break out of its chrysalis, people gathered to watch the butterfly emerge.
When the birght coloured creature spread its wings and flew into the air, the people clapped at the performance.
Welcome to Haiはい。my transmedia journey,
-Lisa
*Flickr photos by:
Caterpillar - Brenda Anderson: http://www.flickr.com/photos/curiouskiwi/
Chrysalis - MsEli: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mseli/
Butterfly - dwain77: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwain77/
- 22:58 Back from the Cowboys game. That new stadium is really something else. Pictures of the pole dancers to come. #
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Erik Foss worked seven nights a week, splitting his time between shifts at a few bars in the city, as well as getting his
own bar going. He found an underground space on the Lower East Side and with the help of friends was digging it out and getting it ready to open.While bartending paid the bills, Erik was really in New York City to be an artist. Whenever he had time he painted, made collages and drew pictures of all the feelings that he had to absorb night after night while working at bars. Often, he heard a lot of pain and anger, especially with the pressure of the change happening. People were hiding out inside the many underground bars around the city, where the darkly lit spaces protected them from the burning sunshine that was destroying the environment everywhere on earth. They brought troubles with them to to the underground bars, and often Erik was the only person around that would hear some of the stories.
They told Erik about family and friends who got sick from the change, unable to tolerate the rising temperatures, a lot of people were developing heat illnesses. If they were young, it was easier to fight off the intensity of the fever and the constant feeling of thirst and being dizzy. If they were old, death was common.
Beyond the illnesses Erik would hear about, there was always the usual complications of living life. Lost jobs. Lost lovers. Lost dreams. For centuries bartenders had been listening to the stories of heart break and hard times, and Erik often felt like a sponge for all the pain that floated around the city and a magnet for it to land at on a bar stool in front of him.
Erik had a way of turning things onto a more upbeat funny side and with a rock 'n roll style, he'd make the most depressing person forget about the troubles and have a good time. A few special cocktails helped pick up the mood and Erik would just take the pain away with him and put some of it into his artwork when it got overwhelming. Furious strokes of paint to canvas emotionally healed him, and he'd then offer some of the results back to customers for sale.
They'd buy back their own pain sometimes, and hang it up on a wall in their home.
Haiはい。is my transmedia journey. Cut 'n paste "Haiはい。" into Google to find pieces of this story,
-Lisa
*Photo of Erik Foss by Supreme Mangement.
*Artwork by Erik Foss.