Politics that didn't Happen

In the summer of 2015, Greece, being forced once again into an unreasonable bailout program by the IMF, the EU and ECB, had had enough. With the support of the people, the government decided to leave the union, and default on all its debts.
In response, the troika yelled foul, and decided to suspend all lending to the ancestral home of democracy. Markets fell sharply around the world, and it seemed that a new financial crisis was beginning. The greeks, however, seemed unconcerned by the panic around them, and, with the help of Russia and China, as well as Brazil, managed to secure enough funds to avoid a complete collapse of their economy. The economic miracle that happened afterwards, however, can only be explained by the solidarity and determination of the once-again free greek people to make it on their own.
As the european union fell into disarray, Greece soon found a steady stream of revenue through increased tourism by its new partners, and was well on the way to recovery. Meanwhile, Spain, hit hardest by the new crisis, decided to exit the EU as well, and was quick to form economic alliances with Greece and its creditors.
Today, almost five years later, half a dozen countries have defected from the EU, and joined the ever-growing number of countries in the asia-focused economic alliance centering on China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa. The USA, afraid by the rapid decline of their allies, have called for reinforced sanction against countries whose government defaulted on their debts. In retaliation, China has asked the US to repay half of the 1'200'000'000'000$ (1.2 trillion $) debt it owes. The U.S. treasury has yet to respond to the demand.

Citations that weren't Made

"Even though we live in a concrete jungle, I still don't get why everybody is trying so hard to be the monkey king..."

    - Bob Marley, 1973

Animals that don't Exist

The Sky Fly

The sky fly, Muscus caelum, also called the blue fly, is commonly seen as the most beautiful species of fly in the world. Its intense azure coloration, a result of both pigments, as well as light refraction caused by nanostructure in the fly's cuticule (exoskeleton), regularly takes one of the top spots in the yearly publication of the most striking colors. Sky flies, contrary to what their name might lead you to believe, do not live in the air. In fact, they are the only species of fly to live in the water.

Blue flies survive mostly off of fish excrement, much as their airborn cousins are attracted to animal excrements. Sky flies most often either follow schools of fish, or lurk around rich habitats, such as coral reefs, where many marine animals pass to breed or feed. Their irridescent color is an adaptation to their aquatic environment, and, seen from the water, their sparkling passes for just another reflection of sunlight.

In recent years, sky fly populations have suffered from the rapid degradation of the oceans. Both the decline in fish populations, as well as the destruction of marine habitats, through increased acidity of the seas as well as direct human intervention, has seen their numbers dwindle, and in many places where it was common to see the sparkling flashes of brightest blue when one went diving, the sea has gone dark. In addition, sky flies have become a popular centerpiece for jewels, which has further accelerated their decline. But their dissappearance does not only affect the animal world.

The sky flies have long been used by a number of people to ascertain the state fo the sea. When to go fishing, which were the best spots, when and how the weather might change, the sky flies have been a useful indicator of the state of the seas, and intense scientific studies by Dr. Rupert Seastone's group at the Institute for Aquatic Insects of Melbourne (IAI) has shown that they were indeed an accurate proxy for these events. Their dwindling numbers have made it hard for the people to judge the waters, and there has been an increase in shipwrecks, as well as victims of storms, in many native populations that are dependant on the sea. Some even go so far as to say that the decline of the sky fly will lead to the death of the seas themselves. Western science sees things the other way around, but there is no denying that both events are connected.

Politics that didn't Happen

In the summer of 2015, the WHO, anticipating degrading conditions on world food production due to the effects of climate change, decided to appeal to the UN to anull all patents on organisms related to food production, and to allow farmers to choose their crops freely. Surprisingly enough, the UN agreed.
The decision was hailed as a victory not only by farmers, who would now once more be in control of their crops, but also by scientists, who had long argued that putting patents on life was not only stupid, but also unfair, since it was not something that had been invented by humans.
In the following months, stock prices for Monsanto & Co. crashed, but food production the world over, and especially in developing countries, rose rapidly, and the diversity of crops planted as well. This raise in agricultural biodiversity acted as a natural defence against diseases, and allowed farmers to obtain similar harvests as before while using only half as much chemical helpers. This provoked an increase in biodiversity in general, and contributed to a wider, healthier array of polinizers, which, in turn, increased production even more.
Now, more than twenty years after the fact, 26 July, which is the day the UN passed the motion, has become an international holiday, the World Farmer's Day, and is seens around he world as the day where the first step in the right direction had been taken.

Citations that weren't Made

"It's getting hot in here. But not nearly as hot as it is out there..."

   - Nelly, 06.07.2015

Animals that don't Exist

The Burning Frog

The burning frog, Bombina torrens, is native to central Europe, and, to this day, the only known social species of the Anura order. Living in familial groups, the frogs generally occupy a territory with at least one watersource used for breeding (some territories have been observed to contain more than ten such breeding ponds). Females will remain with their family, and lay there eggs in the territorial ponds. Males, once they exit the water, will disperse, and mate with females from other families. This alone makes the bruning frog a uniquely fascinating species, since such organised social behavior is virtually non-existent in other amphibians, But the burning frog has more to offer than family fun.

The mucus of the burning frogs' skin is rich in hydroquinine, and, through a mechanism well-known from the bombardier beetles, when stressed, it can release hydrogen peroxide from vesicles in its skin cells, causing a chemical reaction that raises the temperature of the mucus on its skin to almost 100 ºC, causing it to evaporate. The reaction can be so fast, it almost seems as if the frog explodes in a cloud of steam. In addition, the frogs' mucus is toxic, and, when evaporated, will cause irritation to the skin, watering eyes, and a burning sensation in the throat and nose. The process is, of course, extremely demanding of the frogs themselves, and can lead to their death. It is used most often during the period when the new tadpoles grow, and is though to be mainly a way of protecting the young. Once the offspring has grown out of the water, it is very rare to see burning frogs use the defence mechanism.

Tim Rats, of the University of Europeville's history department, has recently found texts that suggest that the frogs were effectively used as crowd control devices durin the middle ages. Lords would keep the frogs in captivity, in small basins of water, artifically maintaining them in a state of constant reproduction through artifical light and warmth. When there was a riot, or the castle was attacked by enemies, they would dump the basins full of frogs on the offenders, causing the frogs to burst into steam, and intoxicating the assailants.

In popular culture, “throw the frog” is a game played by many young adults to this day. A group of young people will take a burning frog in their hands as gently as possible, and then throw it to each other. The goal is to catch the frog as gently as possible, to avoid it bursting into steam. Whoever sets it off looses.

Politics that didn't Happen

At the beginning of 2015, against recomendations from the IMF, and despite an American veto, the UN decided to abolish the debts of all African nations.
In the years that followed, Africa went through a renaissance. Infrastructure, education and healthcare made amazing progress in very little time, and the economy quickly became independant from western powers. Under chinese influence, the African countries made sure to incorporate low-emissions and overall ecoogical considerations into their growth, and managed to quadruple GDP without significantly raising their emission levels.
In the meantime, the west suffered a heavy crisis, not so much because of the lost income from the abolished debts, but because of the increasing price of ressources that could before be bought for cheap from Africa. Western economies all but collapsed, and even now, they are still struggling with the aftermath of Africa rising.