Houston: Planet Earth Has a Big Problem – Human Overpopulation

On May 4, NBC did a short piece about climate change in advance of a report to be released on the issue. Journalist Ann Curry reported on Climate Change causing horrific wildfires, tornadoes, Category 5 hurricanes, rising seas, temperature changes, heat waves and worse for the future. But Curry made no mention of human overpopulation driving any of this.

Nothing like ignoring the fact that the human race adds 1 million of its kind every four and one-half days. That equals about 80 million more of our species annually.

Overcrowded trains outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 2012. Photo: Andrew Biraj

Reality check: The overriding, driving, undeniable force for Climate Change, titanic species extinction, accelerating destruction of the Natural World and dozens of other consequences facing all life on this planet is human overpopulation.

Why does mainstream media – from Scott Pelley, Matt Lauer, Diane Sawyer, Brian Williams and Charlie Rose to everyone at NPR – the president, Congress, all 50 governors, all 100 U.S. Senators, 435 Congressional critters and the majority of 318 million American citizens choose to live in denial while their world degrades around them?

What more does it take? We’ve had:

• Hurricane Katrina
• Hurricane Sandy
• Typhoon Haiyan
• Sixth Extinction Session accelerating against millions of species going extinct
• California wildfires
• Drought and desertification accelerating worldwide
• Polluted air over our cities and polluted rivers
• Nuclear waste
• Melting glaciers
• Carbon parts per million exceeded 400 ppm last year for the first time in 10 million years
• 18 million humans starving to death annually
• Massive pile-ups in traffic pile-ups and congestion in cities.

How is it that anyone with an IQ over room temperature isn’t screaming over the rooftops and into the cameras: “Houston, we’ve got a problem!”

How can the leaders, media and citizens of a free society choose to be so inept, so obtuse, so in denial and so out of touch with reality?

Photo: www.blog.adw.org

Five Factors in Denial of Climate Change, Human Overpopulation

Capitalism allowed technology-dominated Western countries to rape the rest of the planet of oil, diamonds, metals, wood, rubber, minerals, marine life and everything else needed in order to create “consumption societies.” Capitalism requires endless growth for endless people to create endless consumption. That factor created an “entitlement factor” sewn into the societal thread of America and Europe, as well as countries like Canada and Australia. In the past 20 years, that “factor” migrated into China, India, Mexico, Brazil and other consumption-driven societies.

No one wants to give it up. They choose to ride the planet to its knees before giving up their wealth, cars, gadgets, homes and fossil fuel burning. The most powerful taboo of the 21st century remains any mention of the human overpopulation factor.

Second, ancient religions convince followers into a sense of privilege that God blesses them, looks out for them and that they are the chosen ones, and commands them to go forth and multiply.

For example, in light of all the human misery, starvation and deprived living conditions for followers of the Catholic Church around the world (Haiti, Mexico, Africa), the Pope denounces any form of birth control. Thus, more babies mean more poverty, illiteracy and human misery. Islam, Buddhism and Hindu encourage endless human population growth, even in light of the fact that 18 million humans starve to death annually and another 2 billion cannot secure a clean glass of drinking water, many of these in areas dominated by these religions.

Source: www.CounterCurrents.org

Ironically, since first world countries cannot “see” nor do they experience the accelerating aspects of overpopulation, they continue in “cognitive dissonance” of it ever happening to their countries.

Third, democracies promote free choice to the point of suicide of the planet. One couple in America, the Duggars, birthed 19 children in 22 years. The mother finally suffered the death of her 20th because of her 40+ age and failing egg vitality. Nonetheless, she champions “God’s plan” for her to have as many children as possible. Millions feel the same: no one can stop them from birthing as many children as they choose.

In continents like Africa, at 1.1 billion, demographers expect the human mob to reach at least 3.1 billion before the end of the century – most of it via tribal illiteracy, endless birth rates and sheer animal sexual proclivities. India adds 11 million, net gain, annually, with no end in sight as they overtake China as the most populated country in the world by 2050. America, seemingly enlightened, expects to double to 625 million in this century, mostly by immigration from third world countries pumping their excess populations into first world countries.

Ironically, China’s one-child policy faces world condemnation repeatedly, because everyone should enjoy the right to endless children. Mob stupidity triumphs via religion and uneducated cultures throughout the world.

Fourth, most average citizens of the world, including first world countries, go about their daily lives trying to make a living and hang on to whatever possessions, jobs and viability they possess today. They cannot “see” tomorrow or its surprises. I recently talked to a preacher in a church near me. When I spoke to him about my work on overpopulation in America, he said, “I had no idea that America suffers from an overpopulation problem.”

Our carbon, cars, chemicals, garbage, glass, oil, plastics, ships, tires, trash and other debris present this planet with no chance to maintain environmental balance. Photo: www.dreamtime.com

Fifth, as I have seen in my world travels, most world leaders, like average humans not affected by the lion eating one of their kin, simply ignore the danger. They don’t think they will be the next to be eaten. The same goes for power-elites who smugly don’t think they will be affected by Climate Change or any other environmental problems.

Finally, from the eyes and experiences of a six-continent world bicycle traveler who has journeyed from the Arctic to Antarctica, no one escapes Mother Nature’s wrath in the decades to come. She always bats last.

All of humanity faces one hell of a nasty ride. Unfortunately, so does every creature on this planet in the 21st century. The sad thing is the information has been out there, including in Dr. Albert Bartlett’s brilliant “Arithmetic, Population and Energy” presentation, Paul Ehrlich’s “Population Bomb,” Dr. Jack Alpert’s population presentation, Malthus’ equation or another 100 books on peak oil, Climate Change, species extinction, acidified oceans or the Sixth Extinction Session.

The only solution to save the human race in the 21st century is courageous leaders to encourage one child per woman via birth control to compassionately decline the human race to a number this planet can handle. Additionally, return to sailing ships and move to solar, wind and pedal power. We cannot keep burning oil. We either come to terms with critical thinking and rational actions by our choices, or Mother Nature will make her choices rather brutally against us.

In the 21st century, humanity’s self-inflicted population numbers will prove more deadly and more treacherous than all the wars in the history of our kind. As a species, we remain too arrogant and too reckless left to our own devices. Nature, via cause and response, won’t be kind to any of us.