Planet Earth without the USA

[Vesayen]

Much of America was dense OLD GROWTH forest before human habitation. All of that forest is now, back. Thats a lot more trees. Would this have any enviromental impact? More then a few species are also no longer extinct, like the carrier pigeon. Buffalo roam the plains again. America also had some GREAT fisheries before we overfished them especially in New England. That would be a boon for Canada, any fishery in American waters would be better then the current best ones in Canada by a large margin.

[Patroklos]

Since our naval vessels not in port survived, I don't think the fisheries are coming back.

All our oil, however, is

[Vesayen]

The American armed forces, if they all moved back into the U.S. somehow, which is very unlikley, is not large enough to make a dent on the size of American fisheries before human arrival there.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Vesayen
The American armed forces, if they all moved back into the U.S. somehow, which is very unlikley, is not large enough to make a dent on the size of American fisheries before human arrival there.

I think he meant either the seas are impacted, or not. If they are, naval ships in territorial waters are gone. Theyre not gone, so territorial waters arent impacted.

[Vesayen]

Well does American territory not extend 100 miles off the coast?

Even less then that, close coastal waters are effectivley "part" of the country in the same way lakes are, even if they are under water.

[Wezil]

Correct me if I'm wrong (I didn't read the entire thread...) but aren't we overlooking a few original inhabitants of the continent? Or did they go *poof* with the Americans?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Wezil
Correct me if I'm wrong (I didn't read the entire thread...) but aren't we overlooking a few original inhabitants of the continent? Or did they go *poof* with the Americans?

They ARE Americans, Wezil. Outstanding citizens, too.

Im assuming that all humans and their artifacts disappear.

Whether areas cleared of forest and native grassland cover by man are restored or not, is a big question. If you remove people from the midwest, but dont put the native prairie grasses back, you're going to have BIG enviro problems coming real soon - domesticated wheat cant live without man, and when thats gone, and little cover, the prairie is just going to blow away. Not good.

[Wezil]

Alright, fair enough. It is a "what if" afterall.

Mention of the buffalo spurred the thought....

[Wezil]

Originally posted by lord of the mark



They ARE Americans, Wezil. Outstanding citizens, too.

Maybe south of the border. We practice native apartheid on this side.

[Vesayen]

I assumed it was all restored to just prior to native inhabitation.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Vesayen
I assumed it was all restored to just prior to native inhabitation.

wooly mammoths and all that?

[Vesayen]

Good point.

My minds eye was America, pre-European arrival, but also as if the natives had not been there either, I suspect some other also had this mental image.

[Aeson]

If everything is back to the way it was without human intervention... we all know it would be GOLD RUSH!

[GePap]

The idea that US military forces around the world would do any sort of conquering in my mind is beyond dumb. First of all, who would be paying them and supplying them? Sorry, but a modern army does not march on plunder. Second, most US troops worldwide are stationed in rich countries that could handle them even if they got violent (No, the American troops posted overseas could not conquer Europe, or Japan, and the troops in Iraq would be in a real problem).

I am also a bit unsure about the consequences ot the Chinese being so disasterous. Certainly there would be a global depression, but the fact is that China is everyone's mayor manufacturer of cheap goods now.

I think more damaging than the immidiate loss of markets is the immidiate loss of capital - which seems to have gotten far less attention than exports. After all, most currency reserves in Asia and Latin America are in US Dollars or Bonds, and if the US is gone, those are all useless.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap
I am also a bit unsure about the consequences ot the Chinese being so disasterous. Certainly there would be a global depression, but the fact is that China is everyone's mayor manufacturer of cheap goods now.

I think more damaging than the immidiate loss of markets is the immidiate loss of capital - which seems to have gotten far less attention than exports. After all, most currency reserves in Asia and Latin America are in US Dollars or Bonds, and if the US is gone, those are all useless.

Well, yeah, you dont its not just international holdings of dollars, but all US govt bonds, and US corporate bonds and stocks, deposits in US banks (probably) etc.

That will add to the systemic problems.

I quite understand China has other markets for its exports. I rather suspect the complete loss of the US market would be traumatic for them - its not like they can make it up with additional sales somewhere else in this scenario - almost EVERY other current or potential market is stressed, and some are collapsing. What happens to Chinese exports to Mexico? To Japan?