Page 34 - Waterfall_Issue 5_2022

Waterfall Nature

TO BE BIG IS

DANGEROUS

By James Clarke and Mary Broadley

I n the 1990s an American futurologist wrote an essay We’re in the process of slaying

offering educated predictions from various US universities
and consuming megafauna to the
about what the world might be like in a century’s time. I
cannot recall the title or author’s name but I recall one of
the predictions. It was that South Africa’s southeast coastline point of extinction
would become America’s favourite region for beach holidays.

Even then, 30 years ago, science was predicting that sea Last month (April), a co-ordinated effort by universities
levels would rise as the poles melted. Global warming, across the world predicted that if present trends
unless controlled, would radically alter the world’s continued, the world’s megafauna – megafauna meaning
shorelines. It predicted that, by the time toddlers of the larger-sized wild animals – will experience falls
the 1990s were in their dotage, the rising seas would in population and some species would be extinct or
have wiped out most of the world’s favourite beaches heading that way before the end of the century.
– with one exception, the southeastern Cape.
Implicit (but unstated) in their findings is that, once
There, the coastal dunes are five deep and no matter again, South Africa by default would benefit because
how the seas might rise and push inland, they cannot we will likely emerge as the most accessible and
demolish more than the first one or two ridges and accommodating region for tourists interested in seeing
South Africa’s eastern seaboard would become America’s the world’s surviving megafauna. Namibia, Botswana,
(and the world’s) favourite region for beach holidays. Mozambique and Zimbabwe could also benefit.

32 Waterfall Issue 5 2022