The Crest

The leaders of the failed provinces and states of North America met at an undisclosed location along the former Canadian-American border. The mood was somber.

The president of the confederation spoke to the group. "We acknowledge that many of our enclaves have fallen to the Antisis. Further, we concede the failures of the Conference of Parties dating all the way back to 1995 and our inability to control runaway climate change." The speaker paused, looking out across a sea of broken leaders. These heads of state had heard these proclamations hundreds of times before. They were not enthused.

"But with our meeting today with you, the leaders of the former provinces, states, enclaves, I am proud to announce the creation of a million man climate defense force. With this defense force we will take on the Antisis and uphold the principles of the human rights to a healthy environment. These basic human rights include food and nutrition, housing, and access to safe and potable water. With this climate defense force, we will provide safe migration corridors for the millions of people on the road." The president took another deep breath.

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking more failed Conference of Parties, more dogma, more doing nothing. The Conference of Parties, the Kyoto Agreement and the Paris Accord led us to a false hope. We were trying to prevent climate change. We tried to stay below a global average temperature of 3.6° Fahrenheit, yet we failed. The Gulf Stream collapsed and we exceeded all the tipping points that the scientists predicted. Let me say that with this meeting today, that we are no longer acting to reduce carbon emissions; our new mission is to help humans survive in their altered environment. Today, I announce the creation of a new, all encompassing, 'super enclave' called the Alberta Complex, where all displaced persons on the North American continent can migrate to. The boundaries of this new sanctuary will be from the Peace River in the North all the way to the Athabasca River to the south. Let it be known that all refugees on the continent, who come in peace, will be given sanctuary in the Alberta Complex. From this day forward, when displaced peoples here the words 'Alberta Complex', they will know hope."