History PlayingWith / GaiasLament

** Earth has lost much of its natural biodiversity but [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke genetic engineering allows for the restoration of a vibrant environment which cleans up the pollution]]. While human friendly it is specifically noted [[ShownTheirWork how it is worse in other ways like less biology to mimic, or genetic diversity which takes time to mutate and develop in the same stable way.]] In a bittersweet way it is noted that human frienly traits will fade with time unless they are beneficial to the new lifeform.

* '''Exaggerated''': The world is completely covered with garbage and nasty chemicals; if there is any sort of plant life left, expect it to be few, hidden and zealously guarded.

* '''Downplayed''': Occasional references are made to abnormal weather and increasing rates of respiratory ailments, and trees are rarely shown.

* '''Zig Zagged''': The environment has degraded and the degradation had caused problems. But the problems were solved (for the humans only) using science. So the biosphere is perhaps completely dead and some people lament the loss of trees and clean air. While others follow MachineWorship and see the replacement of the "inferior and inefficient" biosphere as a positive for mankind. Basically contrasting an argument from nature or tradition against one from novelty or technophilia, and saying that neither is correct or incorrect.

** The trope is turned UpToEleven, showing just how bad a world suffering an ecological collapse would be, often giving hints, or outright stating that there is no possible recovery.
* '''Reconstructed''': The world is screwed up and the ramifications are shown, but things may possibly get better.

** HumansAreSurvivors, and technology adapts to fulfill needs. Crops are grown in hydroponic bays in vertical farmscrapers, and humans live in [[DomedHometown domed cities]] or [[{{Arcology}} arcologies]], [=CO2=] scrubbers fill in the role of plants and geothermal, nuclear, solar or wind power have replaced [[PostPeakOil fossil fuels]]. Animals and plants are kept in captivity alongside embryos or zygotes on ice to repopulate the earth once [[ecological {{Terraform restoration efforts]] are under way.

* '''Reconstructed''': The world is screwed up and the ramifications are shown, but things may possibly get better. Usually goes hand in hand with SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped.

** Gaia is an EvilMatriarch SocialDarwinist who is proud of how humanity has treated her.

* '''Justified''': Earth technology is shown to be highly destructive to the environment well befoe this trope kicks in.
* '''Inverted''': Nature has destroyed or spoiled civilization beyond repair, see GaiasVengeance.

* '''Played For Laughs''': Humorous shout outs to GreenAesop movies may be present. (A joke involving a food resembling Soylent Green is usually an indicator.) Usually dips into the more "positive" side of crapsack world, where citizens trash the environment out of stupidity or [[TheyJustDidntCare apathy,]] opposed to outright [[CorruptCorporateExecutive greed]] or malice towards the environment.

* '''Parodied''': Earth slits both of her wrists, cries tears (er, rivers) of blood, buys all her clothing from Hot Topic, [[MyImmortal and writes fanfiction dissing all the "preps".]]

* '''Justified''': SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped

* '''Parodied''':
** Usually seen in works that have a comedic crapsack world, the world will be dirty and polluted, but it is usually done for humorous effect opposed to drama.
** Earth slits both of her wrists, cries tears (er, rivers) of blood, buys all her clothing from Hot Topic, [[MyImmortal and writes fanfiction dissing all the "preps".]]

* '''Deconstructed''': Two variants, one can argue that humans would never have the potential to destroy the world outright through industrial means, usually explaining the world came about through a natural disaster. The other variant can turn this trope UpToEleven, showing just how bad a world suffering an ecological collapse would be, often giving hints, or outright stating that there is no possible recovery.

* '''Downplayed''': ???

* '''Exploited''': ???

* '''Straight''': Tim's world is a smog-filled wasteland, with real food now a luxury, non-human animals are mostly, if not completely, extinct, and no hope for recovery.

* '''Inverted''': Nature has destroyed or spoiled civilization beyond repair, see GaiasVengeance.

* '''Double Subverted''': Everyone else had the same idea, and the sudden overpopulation puts Tim's new home on the path to becoming just like his old home..

* '''Deconstructed''': Two variants, one can argue that humans would never have the potential to destroy the world outright through industrial means, usually explaining the world came about through a natural disaster. The other variant can turn this trope UpToEleven, showing just how bad a world suffering an ecological collapse would be, often giving hints, or outright stating that there is no possible recovery.
* '''Reconstructed''': The world is screwed up and the ramifications are shown, but things may possibly get better. Usually goes hand in hand with SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped.

* '''Played For Laughs''': Humorous shout outs to GreenAesop movies may be present. (A joke involving a food resembling Soylent Green is usually an indicator.) Usually dips into the more "positive" side of crapsack world, where citizens trash the environment out of stupidity or [[TheyJustDidntCare apathy,]] opposed to outright [[CorruptCorporateExecutive greed]] or malice towards the environment.
* '''Played For Drama''': Much like the second variant of deconstructed, the ramifications of a ruined ecosystem are seen, such as failing agriculture, mass extinctions, flooded coastlines, and at worse, an AfterTheEnd scenario with a dead Earth.

Back to GaiasLament.

%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%

* '''Parodied''': Usually seen in works that have a comedic crapsack world, the world will be dirty and polluted, but it is usually done for humorous effect opposed to drama.

* '''Defied''': Someone may point out how unbridled industrialization/development may have ramifications in the future. They are listened to too late.

* '''Zig Zagged''': The environment has degraded and the degradation had caused problems. But the problems were solved (for the humans only) using science. So the biosphere is perhaps completely dead and some people lament the loss of trees and clean air. While others follow AveMachina and see the replacement of the "inferior and inefficient" biosphere as a positive for mankind. Basically contrasting an argument from nature or tradition against one from novelty or technophilia, and saying that neither is correct or incorrect.

* '''Parodied''':

* '''Zig Zagged''': The environment has degraded and the degradation had caused problems. But the problems were solved(for the humans only) using science. So the biosphere is perhaps completely dead and some people lament the loss of trees and clean air. While others follow AveMachina and see the replacement of the "inferior and inefficient" biosphere as a positive for mankind. Basically contrasting an argument from nature or tradition against one from novelty or technophilia, and saying that neither is correct or incorrect.

* '''Invoked''': ???

* '''Conversed''': ???

* '''Exaggerated''': The world is completely covered with garbage and nasty chemicals , if there is any sort of plant life left, expect it to be few, hidden and zealously guarded.

* '''Subverted''': The environment is mostly okay, but some parts of it are ruined.
* '''Double Subverted''': But this enviormentt is being gradually destroyed and transformed into ruin.
* '''Parodied''': See played for laughs.

* '''Averted''': N/A trope just wouldn't be present. Sometimes replaced with AveMachina.
* '''Enforced''': See GreenAesop.
* '''Lampshaded''': "Its funny how we havent choked to death yet with this crap floating in the air huh?"

* '''Discussed''': Characters that lived before the environment's destruction will lament how far the world has fallen; characters may suffer a BSOD after witnessing what the world was like/could have been like.

* '''Zig Zagged''': ???

* '''Played For Laughs''': Humorous shout outs to GreenAesop movies may be present. (A joke involving a food resembling Soylent Green is usually an indicator.) Usually dips into the more "positive" side of crapsack world, where citizens trash the environment out of stupidity or [[TheyJustDidntCare apathy,]] opposed to outright [[CorruptCorporateExeuctive greed]] or malice towards the environment.