Earth Resource Wars

## Overview

The **Earth Resource Wars**, or more commonly known as just the **Resource Wars**, were a series of conflicts that spanned 356 years on Earth before the discovery of FTL. Nonrenewable resources were the backbone of human society, with development of renewable resources sorely lacking in all respects. Nearing the mid-21st century using the Gregorian Calendar, raids and proxy wars began to erupt across the globe in search of new resource deposits or in attempts to hijack the reserves of nations who couldn't adequately defend themselves.

Notably, the existing superpowers at the time initiated several wars and funded covert operations for the intent of compromising resource security of less well-off states. The continent of Africa, in particular, was one deeply ravaged by covert operations and officially sanctioned raids. This new approach to global conduct spelled a distinct shift in society; people grew bitter, naturally hostile and distrustful, and terror attacks significantly increased in frequency and destruction from all demographics. A period of time known as "The Year of 6045" is considered to be the point of no return for humanity in its desperation for resource security. Every day of the year had a minimum of two terror attacks that killed a minimum of fifty people, and over thirty nations had their governments overthrown by people left hungry or without power as a result of the raids by distant tyrants.

It was after the conclusion of that year that governments around the world became less subtle in their efforts. Official wars were declared, some between superpowers, and the world entered another dark age. Technological progress slowed to a crawl, with funding going solely into military spending and military asset development. People grew more self-sufficient, with everyone beginning to maintain personal gardens and portable water filtration systems. Survivalists were frequently outed and then killed by their local community, desperate for the non-perishables and survival equipment they had hidden. The United States in particular invaded Canada in order to secure the resource goldmine to their north, and subsequently transferred the National Guard to border duty to defend against the Russian Bloc while government-contracted mercenaries dealt with internal strife and police-keeping. Those who slipped between the cracks created community militias.

The Resource Wars were long and bloody, with most military assets going unused in efforts to maintain resource rationing. A return to trench warfare and improvised combat was made, with human lives being seen as more expendable than barrels of oil or reservoirs of water. The conflicts only ended when a viable oil replacement was developed and several cornerstones of human society were adapted to use said replacement.

## Consequences

The effects of the Resource Wars on Earth were disastrous. Throughout the four centuries of warfare, the soil quality diminished exponentially. Most previously fertile lands on the planet became arid, blights were common, and irrigation became an impossibility. Several nations reverted to a vegetarian-focused diet in attempts to curb resource consumption by livestock. Climate change had changed the face of the planet, and the world's ability to support a bustling civilization of rapidly reproducing humans seemed to be in question.

Regardless of the "human lives are worth less than resources" approach, population metrics raised gradually to nearly 20 billion people by the time the Resource Wars ended. At this time, scientific models placed the Earth's ability to support human life at less than 10 billion people. This led directly to the Earth Exodus of 6412.

## Political Landscape

Following the end of the Resource Wars, the political landscape on Earth was far more consolidated than only three centuries prior. A tally count of 196 countries gradually reduced to only 23 by the end of the resource conflict era, with many of the remaining nations being subservient to the superpowers: America, Chinese Star Republic, India, and the Russian Bloc.