“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.
What to do? take personal responsibility – consume less, breed less, and learn to be satisfied with less material fripperies and tangible status symbols. How many are willing to do this, especially when breeding is encouraged for example, with bribes by our Australian government and the existence of a whole industry – advertising – depends upon increased gluttony? how can governments begin educating their electorates to counter the lunacies of “more population means more economic growth” fanatics, religious freaks and old men, such as those from the Vatican and White House, who still urge rampant overbreeding and/or discourage the use of contraception (maybe this should be a criminal offence at this point) and encourage materialistic acquisition like the TV evangelist born again twits, when their disciples, often old, impotent men whose time left in the world is short, hold sway within governments?
Poverty is the most significant cause of population growth according to some studies. War is another. Although poverty has been reduced globally somewhat in the last few years, The empowerment of women is also integral to addressing overpopulation, as is the security of old people. it is ironic that much of the so-called “Christian” west is evidently deaf to the message of their saviour who preached sharing as a predominant value. The western mercantilist competitive model which has led us to catastrophe walks hand in hand with the perversion of Jesus’s example of cooperation.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
Matthew 25:35
Voluntary sharing, elimination of war, women’s empowerment, security for old people and consumer restraints *now* would be preferable to the ghastly scenario forecast by IPCC:
“The impact will be catastrophic, forcing hundreds of millions of people to flee their devastated homelands, particularly in tropical, low-lying areas, while creating waves of immigrants whose movements will strain the economies of even the most affluent countries. Based on simple extrapolations, costs of extreme weather alone could reach 0.5-1% of world GDP per annum by the middle of the century.”
Wars above all create unconscionable costs, both in monetary and population growth terms.
The successful predictor of El Nino events, solar physicist Theodor Landscheidt (died in 2004), also predicted that due to solar cycles we are entering a period of global cooling, with a Maunder minimum in about 2030.
If Landscheidt was correct, then the anthropogenic effects on climate of burgeoning, gluttonous human populations may be balanced somewhat for a short time. Not that the looting of environmental and commodity resources by these, and particularly those most responsible – western mercantilist economies who tout the “growing population is the key to a growing economy” snake oil – and consequent pollution, will be staunched without concentrated effort by governments, pressure groups and enlightened individuals.