The worm likes to read science-fiction, and in a large percentage of the sf books he reads, the Earth is destroyed in one way or another. Often it's through neglect, war, wastage of resources, alien invasion or some sort of virus or pathogen. It's seldom, however, destroyed due to a misunderstanding. But this is the story behind German singer Nena's 1983 one-hit-wonder “99 red balloons”, where the radar signature of a bunch of balloons let go into the air is mistaken for an enemy strike, and the missiles are launched.
Sad, yes; humourous in a dark way, definitely. But the basis for a really good catchy song, and here it is.