Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1135954
W EEKLY EDITION JUNE 26, 2019 "The Importance and Value of Portable Sanitation" By Isabelle Fobbe , 2019 PSAI Scholarship Winner The old man let out a chuckle as the children nodded eagerly, situating himself into a more comfortable position on the bed as he got ready to tell the story that he had already told them dozens of times before. He had to admit, it was a pretty good story. The man let out a soft sigh, closing his eyes as he tried to imagine what life had truly been like almost 50 years ago. "Things weren't always like this, you know?" The world back then had been a beautiful place. Birds soared the clea r blue skies, the air was crisp and clean, and soft green grass tickled the bottom of your bare feet. Children's laughter could be heard as they rode their bikes down the street, and adults relished in weekends spent with friends and family. Sure there was conflict and hunger, but nothing, nothing would ever compare to now. Earth back then had been a paradise. But one day, lawmakers decided that changes had to be made in order to save some money. Their first order of business was eliminating all use and p roduction of portable sanitation. They thought it would be a small price for the world to pay, that people wouldn't even notice a change. However, they wouldn't have been more wrong. By the time they realized their mistake, the damage had already been done . It was too late to turn back the clock. Thus, the downfall of society began. Without the availability of clean and easily accessible sanitation, disease and infection began cloaking the world like a suffocating blanket of death. Hospitals overflowed wi th patients, and those who couldn't afford care suffered in their own homes until eventually succumbing to this illness. Crime rates rose steadily as people feared to leave their homes and catch those life - threating illnesses, businesses going bankrupt and citizens so poor that they had to resort to looting stores and stealing from others in order to stay alive. Cities that were once littered with laughing children on their bikes and families grilling hamburgers in their backyards were suddenly a barren, si lent ghost town. These conditions only worsened, however, as hurricanes and other natural disasters devastated civilizations. Without portable sanitation as a substitute amenity after homes and buildings that were obliterated, people were left with nothing. Disease and cri me rose to a level so high, that most hospitals closed their doors, as they had no doctors or nurses left to treat those affected. Police and the military did their best to exercise control, but with the entire world at war with each other, they didn't sta nd a chance. Friends turned to enemies, and even your own family could no longer be trusted. P AGE 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4