Imagine that I could foretell the ravages of climate change with good precision. Also imagine that I could foretell the geopolitical repercussions of the upcoming tumult. On top of that, imagine that I would post all this on the World Wide Web. What would happen? Absolutely nothing. Even if everything happened exactly as I foretold it, nobody would pay it any attention. At best, some would curse me for my foretelling as though it was of my own making. So, why should I concern myself with the future of the human species? A good question, this. And so is the answer, which is so obvious that spelling it out is outright superfluous. I will be sixty-nine in a few months. As far as I am concerned, the future is nothing if not bright. Nay, dazzling.

Addendum I (January 6, 2015)

This was written with my last book in mind. For all my unabashed foretelling, it was of no interest to anyone. This was pretty much what I had expected, but it still hurt me. Not on account of yet another failed attempt at fame, I hasten to add. At best, I expected a little commiseration from the closest of friends. Anyhow, this piece suggested I was ready to throw in the towel at long last. The future of the human species is hardly any business of mine. Thus I thought I would let the book die quietly, just as it was born. I had distributed it to all and sundry both in hard and electronic copy, and thus I felt my job was already done. But I surprised myself today with yet another avalanche of electronic copies of my book sent to friends and acquaintances far and wide. Cui bono? An excellent question, this.

Addendum II (January 21, 2015)

To my credit, I have stopped pushing my book soon after the previous addendum was written. It is none of my business, I reckon. I have done my bit already. The book is out there. It is available to all and sundry. If it attracts some readers, fine. And if it does no, fine again. As for my friends and acquaintances, nearly all of them are keeping mum to this day. So far, I have gotten only a few comments, but none of them have touched the gist of the message. Many of the good people have not even thanked me for my gift. A few words would have been enough, I hasten to add. All in all, foretelling the ravages of climate change is of no interest to anyone nowadays. The way humans are, they will notice that something is amiss when the proverbial waters comes to their necks. Expecting anything else from my fellow humans would be foolish.

Addendum III (September 7, 2015)

So many months later, there is no change to my story. Same old. In short, my book is dead in the water. I have done my best to make it both visible and available to all, but to no avail. The aftermath of climate change and environmental degradation is of no concern to the vaunted consumer today. This is a bit like beating a dead horse, but I will abandon all attempts at foretelling from now on. If I write a few words about the future of the human race every once in a while, it will be for my own edification. As well as entertainment. I will be seventy next year, and I will dedicate myself to my own affairs. Totally and completely. And my own future is dazzling, indeed.

Addendum IV (March 29, 2016)

The last few lines of the original piece make me smile. Alas, I will be seventy in a few weeks! But it is not the future that I find dazzling any longer; rather, it is the present. As for climate change, it is none of my business at this stage of my life. I will post my book on the subject on the World Wide Web any time soon, and that will be that. I have promised myself months ago not to write about climate change any more, minus an occasional addendum, such as this one (“Postscriptum XVII,” December 14, 2015). Foretelling is for the birds, anyway.

Addendum V (April 19, 2017)

For my sins, I occasionally ferret through the news on the World Wide Web. The British Broadcasting Corporation, Reuters, or Al Jazeera News offer all I need to get my bearings concerning world affairs. This is how I come across a few articles or even books foretelling the ravages of climate change and environmental degradation. Although none of them are as forthright as my own writings on the subject, some of them come close enough. The future is dire, to be sure. Bot none of the articles or books of this ilk seem to attract much attention. It appears that millions upon millions of people who surf the web are not interested in such stuff. Chances are that they find it outright boring, too. Instead, they are looking for good cheer and merry mates. The only sort of future they care about belongs to science fiction. Indeed, foretelling is for the birds. Fellow humans, farewell!