Populate and Perish

“the human population is out of control
unfortunately, it looks like we are in for a cull
the odds are stacked against us
it’s like a constipated pizza eating champ
or a rolling stones groupie…
she’s gonna blow”

Sarcophagus, 3/2/07 (quoted with permission)

Whilst many run round like headless chooks, either in denial or desperately quoting biblical prophecy to comfort themselves that after the horrific end times *they* will be saved by their manufactured insane sky fairy and thus can continue to worship their deity’s gifts of very large motor cars and luxury homes, breeding a bevy of more insatiable humans just like them and indulging in other nihilistic foibles – wars, colonialism, corruption and social inequality – which have created majorly the planetary ecological collapse, others have the courage to tackle the situation head on. The recent Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conference considers that global warming will impact on developing countries the most.

“The average temperature of the Earth is set to rise by a whopping 3 degrees C this century if greennhouse gas emissions are not curbed significantly. The Stern review of 2006 issued by the UK government highlighted that the 3 degree C temperature rise would translate into severe water shortages and lower crop yields around the world, with climate change already causing setbacks to economic and social progress in developing countries.”

Yet it is the developed countries which cause the lion’s share of carbon emissions. How to change the intemperate habits of lifetimes within the short period of time available for damage control? Choices available to governments are cynically restricted when political careers depend on presenting goodies, not hardships, to voters. And the third world, whose industrialisation follows the western model will undoubtedly speed up global warming manifold, is unlikely to adopt adequate measures to curb temperature or population growth.

Continue reading “Populate and Perish”