A rebuke of an illogical argument in this article:
http://www.stanforddaily.com/2014/10/06/human-overpopulation-when-no-news-is-bad-news/
An article was posted on the topic of overpopulation: The data of 8.5 to 12 billion by 2100 is no different than what we have seen before. It is based not on a growth pattern birthrate, but the result of past birth rates as those children inevitably reproduce themselves over the coming years. It sounds complicated but it is not. Birth rates are around 2 per 2 average the world over and going down. It is a similar pattern to Europe when they overshot and were suddenly hit by a population too small to maintain their infrastructure 15 or 20 years ago. Overshot is fine as it gives a reason to gladly accept the overflow from more struggling regions which is a likely reason to expect confrontation in coming years.
The article says: “Why, then, do we fixate on technological fixes like solar power and carbon capture, rather than addressing global population growth?
According to former United Nations Population Division officials, the reasons stem primarily from political fear…”
The answer again is simple. Because we have the population headed toward negative growth already. We know that mathematically, the continued growth is inevitable for a time until it levels off. So, obviously it is time to focus on turning footprint into contribution to reduce brown and increase terrestrial green.
If we now convert to a contributing rather than a parasitizing societal effect on the planet, we will have achieved the precursor to our success.
If we dwell on population when there is nothing that can ethically and equitably be done about it and when statistics prove it is leveling off and likely to enter a downturn, we are beating a dead horse.
Further more, a focus on population reduction scares a heck of a lot of people and keeps them out of the game. Out of the game means resistant to the cultural changes we need to cut out parasitism and usher in regenerative stewardship.
Social engineering of the past 30 years already worked and though we need to plan on tight company for a few more years, reproductive rate is more likely than not to turn drastically down even from the 2 for 2 reproduction rates we have achieved in 2014.
So, in answer to the article, the reason not to focus on population but instead on appropriate technology deployment, cultural value change, and corporate/capital systems restructure is because we staved off reproductive rates in those 30 years but failed miserably to cut down footprint per person. Failure to address footprint per person because we worried about population would be a travesty and result in ultimate failure.
The other point is it is not exactly the population burning through the planet. It is the economy going gang busters to enrich a few and maintain baby boomer retirements before it is game over for pillage and plunder. The population are used as dumb pawns in the game and they are not even getting a quality life out of the deal, as Gale brought up months ago in mental illness statistics. F O O T P R I N T !!! NOT NUMBER OF FEET, IS WHAT IS KILLING US.
As I said before, we have the knowledge and technology to not only reduce our footprint, but to eliminate it and even some of the past thereby regenerating our planet at a quicker rate than nature itself. Nature by the way is not on her best and strongest legs for a quick recovery without our help.
It is time for each of us to put on our heros cap on and give it our all. We all know that a few percent with passion can turn the entire population, and that is what we must do. Thankfully, though none of us created the upswell happening the world over, we can all be encouraged and envigorated that no matter how much “I” do others all over are doing even more. Focus ahead on footprint alleviation not behind on feet.
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Key words of the Revolution:
symbiotic future, symbioticfuture, occupy conscience, occupyconscience, hubwild, farmhub, integrity, permaculture, organic farming, regrarian, farm, agriculture, regenerative agriculture, biochar, agrochar, resource conservation, revolution, activism, activist, bushcraft, greenhouse, survival, diplomacy, wild, nature, mother nature, wildness, spirit, spiritual, mother earth, ecology, eco, environment, self sufficiency, conscious, empowerment, civil disobedience, passive resistance, peace, love, compassion, non-violence, resistance, resist oppression, community, local, locovore, foodie, slow food, coexist, diversity, purity, holiness, values, ideals, idealism, purity, wisdom, soul, wholesome, goodness, good, revolution, earth, subsistence, bioneer, bio-neer, ted, tedx, ecopreneur, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial, innovation, politics, democracy, socialism, capitalism, communism, leadership, eldership, elder, dynamic governance, social governance, matrix management, biology, chemistry, physics, science, homeschooling, free range, free-range, freerange, green, algae, energy, biomass, biofuel, biodiesel, police
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