Patient Earth is critically ill

Abstract

If planet earth was a patient she would be diagnosed with multi-organ failure and transferred immediately to intensive care. The list of problems afflicting ‘Earth’ would include runaway hyperthermia despite numerous attempts to control this, respiratory failure and decreasing ability to maintain proper oxygenation, circulatory failure with multiple thromboses in major arteries, and renal and hepatic failure with inexorable accumulation of body wastes. On top of all of these ailments, intermittent bouts of extreme dehydration alternating with fluid overload as well as sporadic unexpected infections would have contributed to a steady decline in her health over the past few decades, culminating in the need for life support.