by Ajitpal Dhot

Created on: February 13, 2007   Last Updated: August 15, 2008

Visions of Sustainability: Survival of a Species

Submitted by: Ajitpal Singh
ID: 230017609

Submitted to: Dr. David Connell

Another Story To Be In
Earth: around 10, 000 years ago

The land was littered with tiny tribes that roamed freely. One day, members of a certain tribe were out hunting to feed their families when they stumbled upon a gun and ammunition. One of them picked this gun up and after a few minutes of fumbling around with it, accidentally shot a fellow hunter in the chest and killed him. Though there was much remorse, this incident gave them the idea that no longer did they need to chase after their prey, no longer did they need to exclusively use bows and arrows; they now could easily collect food for their whole tribe. In fact, lesser people were needed to go gather their food.

Soon enough, other tribes started finding these mysterious guns appearing all over the land. Some tribes decided to simply settle down in one spot and send out hunters to gather their food. This way, their lives would become much easier. Eventually, more villages started appearing on the landscape and at the same time these villages started getting more populated as now there was plenty of food to go around.

Eventually, all wildlife disappeared within the territories claimed by the village and people now started entering other village's territories to hunt more food. Wars erupted and by now, it had become normal for people to be fed daily as if by magic. This magic could not be lost at any cost so the only way to maintain this would be to expand ones land claims. Village's started assimilating others into their fold through force and the population kept expanding at an alarming rate. However, the people were not concerned. They had everything they ever wanted. Everything was being done out of sight. Only the small group of hunters were needed to go out; the food came from somewhere out there, the wars were being fought somewhere out there, the extension of the village was also happening somewhere out there. This content life went on for thousands of years until one day, someone realized that there was no more land to hunt on. All that could be hunted was already killed and consumed. Suddenly, there was no more food. The human population, in its neediness to grow, suddenly declined catastrophically because the maximum carrying capacity had been reached. The civilization fell exactly the same way it started: with a bang.

Sustainability in the Gun Culture

Naturally, I have left

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