Earth

Introduction
Earth is the only habitable planet in the Sol-system, homeworld of Humanity and capital world of United Earth. By the 22nd century, it has become so damaged by pollution and war that Humans needed to wear rebreathers in some regions whenever outside due to the large amount of carbon dioxide in the air.

Plant and animal life had become increasingly rare due to the extreme pollution. The majority of the world's population lives in crammed housing, while some of the wealthier citizens have retreated into domes that block out most of the pollution. Because of the recent wars, there is danger of radiation in some areas.

In affect the planet is dying and with the current population of 22-billion, it does not have long left unless radical action is taken.

Planetary Geography and Climate
Earth is the third planet from Sol and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the system. It is also the largest of the Sol-system's four terrestrial planets. It is sometimes referred to as the world, the Blue Planet, or by its Latin name, Terra.

Earth formed 4.54 billion years ago, and life appeared on its surface within one billion years. The planet is home to millions of species, including Humans. The physical properties of the Earth, as well as its geological history and orbit, have allowed life to persist during this period. Estimates on how much longer the planet will to be able to continue to support life range from a mere 500 million years, to as long as 2.3 billion years.

Earth's outer surface is divided into several rigid segments, or tectonic plates, that migrate across the surface over periods of many millions of years. About 71% of the surface is covered by salt water oceans, with the remainder consisting of continents and islands which together have many lakes and other sources of water that contribute to the hydrosphere. Earth's poles are mostly covered with solid ice (Antarctic ice sheet) or sea ice (Arctic ice cap). The planet's interior remains active, with a thick layer of relatively solid mantle, a liquid outer core that generates a magnetic field, and a solid iron inner core.

Earth interacts with other objects in space, especially Sol and Luna. At present, Earth orbits Sol once every 366.26 times it rotates about its own axis, which is equal to 365.26 solar days, or one sidereal year. The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted 23.4° away from the perpendicular of its orbital plane, producing seasonal variations on the planet's surface with a period of one tropical year (365.24 solar days). Earth's only natural satellite, the Moon or Luna, which began orbiting it about 4.53 billion years ago, provides ocean tides, stabilizes the axial tilt, and gradually slows the planet's rotation.

Biology
Earth's biosphere has been damaged from generations of pollution, war and devastation.

Overpopulation, nuclear warfare, pollution, enviromental, significant deforestation, world hunger, ozone depletion, resources depletion, water shortages, and overhunting of what is left of Earth's very few still living animal species are the main things that are slowly consuming what is left of the once beautiful planet. Anyone left out in the open or in the cities, or anyone who is lucky enough to still have any resources left, must wear oxygen-replenishing cleaners, called exopacks, over their faces just to survive one Earth day. The less fortunate are left on their own.



By 2150s, Earth had undergone significant deforestation coupled with the almost total extinction of wildlife on the ground and in the oceans. Due to the destruction of the natural environment and vast urban expansion, the United Earth government began to grow vast sea farms of edible protein and nutrient-rich algae, which was flavored with spices and other ingredients, in order to feed the 22-billion people of Earth both cheaply and effectively. Algae has become the staple food for many humans on Earth and Luna.

With barely a generation left before Earth loses all ability to sustain life natural, the United Earth government has enacted Operation Cleanup. The plan currently calls for the evacuation of nearl 75% of the population to off-world colonies, while on Earth robots and huge mobile incinerators would take charge of cleaning up. Thousands of colony ships are set to be built while United Earth Starfleet surveys begin to find worlds to sustain Earth's population temporarily or for long-term purposes.

Operation Cleanup success would be followed by Operation Recolonize, though public opinion is in favor of not returning once Earth has been revitalized.

History
Read More: Human History

Earth was rocked by a significant intra-continental conflict in the 22nd century and from which the global energy crisis arose, with a great demand for natural resources. With much of Earth's natural resources depleted forever, all eyes on the planet turned to extra-terrestrial worlds. Earth's space programs had, by this time, evolved to the point of being able to send a manned mission to other planets and other solar systems.

Earth became warp-capable in 5 April 2060 when Zefram Cochrane launched his experimental ship the Phoenix from the Armstrong Lunar Colony. This sparked the mass exodus of Humans off-world and the establishment of Earth's numerous extra-solar colonies. 58-years later, in 2118, they experienced first official contact with an interstellar alien species, the Vulcans.

In 2153, Earth was subjected to an attack, later called the August Wave, by a Xindi probe weapon. The western coast of North American Republic was reduced to wasteland, Ireland and the United Kingdom in the Greater European Union were smashed into tiny islets, numerous European cities leveled, while tsunamis wrecked the east coast of Asia and Pacific islands in the Sino-Federation.

Armed Forces

 * United Earth Starfleet
 * Earth Surface Forces: The domestic security organization for the planet.

Society and Culture
The world also faces dwindling worldwide air quality. As a result humans are forced to wear face masks to protect themselves from the polluted air.

The United Earth government had implemented a campaign, A Family is Four, to control the increasing overpopulation on Earth. Thousands every year are imprisoned or sterelized for breaking the law. The law however only applies on Earth, migrating off-world exempts citizens to have more children, but they can not return with any but the two eldest. This has created an exiled generation that can not return to the homeworld due to being 'thrice' born.

Once Humans began leaving Earth in the 20th century, they photographed and drew pictures of the planet for various reasons. These pictures were then displayed in homes, offices, and recreation facilities. The earliest depictions of Earth were from the space agencies which sent Humans into space. These included official mission photos and insignias. Many of these images were preserved into the 22nd century and beyond.

Galactic Location
Earth is the inner most world of United Earth and located 16.1-light years from Vulcan and 41-light years from Denobula.

Provinces and Cities

 * Beijing
 * Berlin
 * New York-Jersey Metroplex
 * Paris
 * Rio de Janeiro
 * San Francisco
 * Singapore
 * Tokyo
 * Toronto

Points of Interest

 * Rocky Mountains
 * Death Valley
 * Victoria Falls
 * San Francisco Islands
 * Singapore Interplanetary Tether