Postkarten aus Südtirol
Anna Maria Zuech
The book “Postkarten aus Südtirol“ is a dystopian vision of the future that shows the possible consequences of climate change in the region of South Tyrol. The book consists of six chapters and therefore six different stories and people that tell about how their situation changed over the last 20 years due to global warming. The experiment was set up in 2054, at a time when South Tyrol had already changed considerably due to the immense environmental influences. From a once alpine holiday region, where even skiing was possible, South Tyrol has become a tropical place of recreation in southern Central Europe. Not only the landscape has changed due to environmental influences, but also the culture and the daily life of the inhabitants. Tourism, agriculture and also the way of life resemble more and more other southern states like Morocco or Israel. In agriculture apples and potatoes became rare and southern fruits like bananas, mangos or pomegranates are the most grown fruits and vegetables. Cows are becoming a rarity and in the future camel salami will be a more likely part of the typical “Marende” than grey cheese. What used to be South Tyrolean bacon, “Schüttelbrot”, “Kaminwurzen”, cheese and a glass of wine are now Marende boards with olives, bananas, dates, mealworms, camel bacon and a jug of beer. In addition, forests are being burned down and palm oil is becoming a new source of income. Large corporations are gaining a foothold. The situation is similar with the valuable commodity water: after the glaciers have melted, only the rich can afford to consume water, while the poorer sections of the population have to resort to beer, as the groundwater is in private hands and is sold at a high price. In addition, forests are being burned down and palm oil is becoming a new source of income. Large corporations are gaining a foothold. The situation is similar with the valuable commodity water: after the glaciers have melted, only the rich can afford to consume water, while the poorer sections of the population have to resort to beer, as the groundwater is in private hands and is sold at a high price. All of the scenarios are purely fictional and approached in a sarcastic way to show the high and drastic impact that climate change has on our life of the future.