Eighteen months later. So there's got to be some nine-month-olds about. Probably ten- and eleven-month-olds, too, since there'd be nothing to stop premature births. Unless God decided to strike everyone infertile. But you think someone would notice. Then again, we already see what effect every child suddenly disappearing has... the person on the street in the LB world appears to have an awareness of the world slightly below bread mold. (Well, or authors don't give a damn about things like world-building.)

We haven't been here long enough, or survived under trying enough circumstances to pat ourselves on our collective backs about how hardy we are. Not to mention that: 1. Humanity is separate from human civilizations. I like my running water and antibiotics, thank you very much. 2. Even if human civilizations survives, climate change could kill a lot of people who might otherwise have live longer, more productive, happier lives, and generally causes avoidable suffering. Smallpox didn't kill us all, but I'm glad I don't have to worry about catching a disease that could kill me. War generally won't wipe out all of humanity, but I'd rather my country not be invaded (or invade others). Now, if you want to argue that the measures required to prevent climate change somehow cause more suffering than climate change itself, go ahead, but back up your sources. And if you start ignoring the poor in developing countries because there's not much they can do to prevent (or cause) climate change when they're more worried about feeding their families, but there's a hell of a lot that can happen to them because of climate change, then I will be quite put out.

Was going to say, some of us, like myself, aren't interested in the owner -- if sie exists or not -- or the hypothetical pay at the harvest. I'm more interested in taking care of the people around now, and do satisfying work.