Jason Purdy

Migration Day Jason Purdy

In the late 2020s the United Nations finally took action to understand climate change. The Earth wasn't just warmer every year, but the rate of change was increasing as well. Most experts predicted the Earth would warm 2°C by 2050. It happened 20 years early, in 2030. When the Earth warmed to 3°C, nine years later in 2039, many places were simply too hot to live in the Summer. The climate shifted in a way unseen in recorded history. Five years later, the Earth passed 4°C, aka the "Point of No Return". At this level, sea levels rose to unprecedented heights and hundreds of millions were displaced. Governments instituted strict carbon laws, limiting economic growth, and international travel was severely limited. Income inequality grew while social mobility decreased to a level not seen in 200 years. Temperatures swung violently from 150°F in the Summer to -50°F in the winter. The rich chased moderate climates, living at the bottom of the Southern Hemisphere from November until April, and Northern Hemisphere from May through October. May 1st and November 1st become known as "Migration Day", a new global holiday, celebrated twice a year, when the rich travel between the two hemispheres.