Duck and cover…

7.8 Billion Humans Staring At Death, Don’t Like What They See

Prospect of eternal rest loses appeal as people across planet confront stark reality of fragile existence

Not just a brush fire, more like hellfire. (Photo by Javier Miranda on Unsplash)

Know anyone looking forward to the future, hopeful about the prospect of global unity, eager to give birth to the next generation, optimistic we’ll get ahead of climate change or be able to quell the more than 100 wars sweeping the planet?

Nope. Instead, 7.8 billion people are trembling with fear, wondering if the end is near, facing the prospect of push-button obliteration and preparing for Armageddon.

Take Sharon Goodman, a sophomore at Wesleyan College, who recently went off the grid in Maine. “I was hoping to work on global warming,” said Goodman, as she pulled carrots from the ground. “Now, I’m just going hunker down here at my friend’s farm and wait things out. Once these vegetables are harvested, we’ll stash them in the underground survival shelter and hope for the best.”

Chidi Ayodele, a bus driver in Abuja, Nigeria, was preparing to move to Denmark. “Before rampant racism returned, I had dreams of studying in Copenhagen to become a lawyer,” said Ayodele. “Guess I’ll have to settle for driving my bus, instead, and accepting the…