There are some things about life on Earth that seem like they will never change… with the role
of the moon being a fine example of something that we just never seem to question. When night falls,
it’s there. It’s always been there, and presumably it always will be. But actually,
the moon hasn’t always been a fixture of the sky above this planet. Not quite. And,
according to one model, it’s mere presence could one day soon cause us some very big problems.
This is Unveiled, and today we’re exploring the extraordinary claim
that the moon could cause the end of the world by 2030.
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Humanity has a long history of being fascinated by the moon, but only in the last few decades
have we begun to truly understand it. We know that moons in general aren’t rare, with multiple
other planets in just the solar system also having them… and some of the outer planets
boasting considerably more of them than we do. We also have a leading theory as to how our moon
came to be - the giant-impact hypothesis - which says that sometime around 4.4 billion years ago,
a now-lost protoplanet smashed into an early version of the Earth, and the moon formed out
of the debris. Regardless of how it arrived, though, we know that the moon has been there,
watching over Earth, for literally billions of years. It’s part of the furniture, cosmologically
speaking. And yet, over time, its role and position have gradually (and quietly) changed.
We know that, thanks to the effects of the gravitational bind between it and Earth,
the moon’s orbit has altered over time. Not by much, but it means that with every passing year,
century, and millennia, the moon slowly inches further and further away from Earth itself.
The moon’s axial tilt has also shifted by about six degrees over billions of years, too.
And, while these developments aren’t exactly fast paced, and might never be described as dramatic…
they do still show how the moon and the Earth are deeply linked to one another. They don’t just
exist side by side. And that has ramifications for Earth, as well.
Reports first emerged in mid-2021 that an upcoming “wobble” in the moon’s orbit could
cause major disruption (and maybe even worldwide devastation) in (or around) the year 2030. These
reports weren’t so much based on specific new data, but rather on a wealth of predictions made
by a number of leading bodies - including, most notably, the world’s foremost space agency, NASA.
The idea that the moon’s movements could one day wreak havoc on Earth has actually been around,
known about, and relatively feared for a while now. It’s just that today, in the 2020s,
the time is fast approaching when the issues could begin to truly reveal themselves.
We know that the moon is, of course, intrinsically linked with how the tides work on Earth,
with its gravity essentially dictating when tides are high and when they’re low. For the most part,
it’s a fairly predictable arrangement, and we humans have learnt to live
and work with it. But actually, as the moon and the Earth move through space, there are periods
when the bind that exists between them is stronger or weaker. And, when it’s stronger - a period that
peaks once every eighteen years or so - the tides can be much more severe. And so, at that point,
the predictable rhythm can become a little more concerning. In (or around) the year 2030 is, then,
when scientists next expect a spike in tidal activity thanks to the moon… which
is why so many headlines have earmarked 2030 as a potentially apocalyptic year.
But is there really so much to worry about? Can we really go so far as to say that the moon
could cause the end of the world within the next decade? Ultimately, the chances are still
good that there will still be people on this planet to experience the delights of, say,
the year 2035, or the year 2040. But the sensationalist, Armageddon-inducing warnings
still have a valid point to focus on, as well. As with so many future-thinking science stories
these days, the problems that could be created as a result of the moon’s movements through space
(in relation to Earth) are made potentially so much worse thanks to clear and present problems
with our environment. Surging tides without global warming can cause a lot of issues, already…
but with global warming those issues could get truly out of hand. According to a July 2021 NASA
release, while there’s “nothing new or dangerous” about the regular and expected moon wobble itself…
what is new and potentially dangerous is that next time it will “combine with rising sea
levels resulting from the planet’s warming”. Consider the fate of the Thwaites “Doomsday”
Glacier. We took a closer look at this sprawling (but shrinking) hunk of ice in
another recent video, so be sure to check that out for more details. But, in short,
Thwaites Glacier is one of particular concern to climate scientists because of the threat that it
could one day soon disintegrate. Rising water temperatures are causing it to melt from below,
resulting in an increasingly vulnerable ice shelf. And, if that ice shelf were to break, melt,
and succumb to the sea, then it could contribute around two feet to global rising sea levels.
That means it could directly impact thousands of flat and coastal towns and cities. And,
what’s more, according to some predictions, the breakup of Thwaites could happen in as little as
three to five years. And it isn’t just Thwaites, either… as there are other, similarly significant,
potentially devastating predicted glacier events tabled for the next few years, as well.
That’s perhaps already worrying enough, but now add into the equation that the moon’s imminent
wobble is predicted to happen shortly after those potential glacier events. That could
mean stronger tidal surges in the future, carrying much more water. Quickly, we begin to see how the
problem could grow. And, to make matters worse, literally billions of people currently live in
at-risk areas, such is the nature of human society to have historically built along the coast. It’s
not a good combination, and in 2030 it could reach some sort of tipping point. And, if not 2030,
then perhaps eighteen years later - in or around 2048. But is there anything we can do about it?
The first thing might be to improve our sea defenses. And there are examples of this
happening all over the world map, as various structures are built (and waters are diverted)
in a bid to lessen the blow. In the long term, the movement of communities away from at-risk areas
might need to be seriously considered, too… although clearly this would represent a massive
logistical headache, considering that major cities like New York, Shanghai, Mumbai, and so
many others fall within the “at-risk” bracket. One thing’s for sure, there’s very little we can
ever do to change how the moon behaves, nor how it directly affects what happens on Earth.
Without suddenly developing the planet-moving capabilities of something like a Kardashev Type
Three civilization, we are unfortunately at the moon’s mercy. But, of course,
if we can’t prevent the tides from happening (or prevent the wobbles or changes that they routinely
go through), what we can at least try to do is to keep the sea levels from rising too far. Most
scientists agree that there’s no one, quick fix to preventing glacier melt, and that there’s no
easy answer as to how to slow down rising seas… but, equally, small changes made by many
people could, we’re told, have a major impact. And bringing down global temperatures to save
or even restore the ice we’re currently losing, could gradually make a monumental difference.
It can feel at times as though the future is a pretty bleak place… and predictions of catastrophe
within the next ten years aren’t exactly going to help improve that pessimistic outlook.
But the reality still may not turn out to be quite as bad as some currently fear… at least
not this time around in the wobble cycle. The hope of the likes of NASA and others is that
data regarding how the moon works should be listened to by every generation… as we plot
our way through the next decade, and then the one after that, and then the one after that.
More often than not, there are things we can all do to improve our future. But, nevertheless,
that’s why it’s been said that the moon could theoretically cause the end of the world by 2030.
What do you think? Is there anything we missed? Let us know in the comments, check out these other
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