Energy Boom

The Energy Boom was period in human history marked by rising human population and abudant economic growth which ultimately led to the near biosphere collapse of Earth.

"Abundant Energy, Abundant Money"
At the beginning of the 21st century, advances in mining and extraction technology made it possible for nation states on Earth to tap plentiful sources of energy derived from fossil fuel. Natural gas trapped in shale rock formations and oil deposits found deep under the ocean floor, allowed nations that could afford the technology to tap these sources of energy to become extrememly wealthy. These states became energy indepenedent, allowing them to excercise their sizable enconomic leverage to take advantage of smaller deposists in minor states. At the hieght of the Energy Boom, one leader of these nation states claimed on live television that his country had "abundant energy and abundant money" and therefore "could excercise his "country's will on the world."

Collapse
Unregulated and corrupt, the industries that led the exploitation of the natural resources of Earth soon grew too powerful for governments to control. Soon, these industries began in engaging of forced relocation of human settlements and cities in order to dominate the natural resources in small states. This in turn led these displaced citizens to begin conducting acts of terrorism and corporate sabotage.

Despite their significant wealth, these industries could not raise armed forces to protect their ill gotten gains. Instead, they pressured governments to use their militaries to invade and occupy the smaller nations in order to secure their infrastructure from civil strife. These actions only served to worsen the situation.

As tensions and violence grew in occupied nations, the occupiers soon began to feel economic and poiltical pressure at home to cease wars for profit. Adding to this pressure, was the growing realization that fossil fules were rapidly being depelted. With economies built on cheap energy, the rising costs of fuel, energy, and food sent these econmies into collapse. Stock markets failed, national infrastructure, negelected in the preceding decades, broke down, and food supply chains broke down leading to unprecedented hunger and famine across the planet.