It constantly amazes logical thinkers that anyone can cling to an outmoded paradigm in the 21st century.  However, it occurred in 1600 with the Pope clinging to “the sun revolves around the Earth.”   Before that, “the world is flat.”   Ancient beliefs die hard with tribes and their members.

 

In the early years of the 21st century, humanity faces its greatest challenge in that has become too clever, too successful, too wasteful and too polluting of its own home—planet earth.  I poisons it daily, it cuts down the trees, it pollutes the air, water and land with 72,000 chemicals.  It overruns the capacity of the planet to ‘cleanse’ itself from such an onslaught.

 

Yet, the human race ‘races’ toward adding another 2 to 3 billion in 40 years—as if it can get away with it.  It cannot!

 

Some want to blame ‘greedy industrialists’ or other entities, and “if we could stop those bad guys”, we could create an Eden.  In the end, it gets down to carrying capacity, and either we live within it and abide by it, or it will collapse around our ears.   My friend Dave Ewolt at Energy Bulletin brings it clearly to the forefront:

 

“Carrying capacity is rather easy to define, and its calculation is rather straightforward, although it does require at least partial differential equations--although non-linear dynamics is better,” said Ewolt.  “Carrying capacity is the balance point among population, consumption, and waste assimilation. We know what the rates of regeneration, replenishment, and recharge of ecosystems and their constituent parts are. Those who believe in technology as savior would be a bit disingenuous to then claim we're incapable of doing a bit of simple math.

“Systems science and basic ecology tells us that we must get down to sustainability as quickly as possible. If we remain unsustainable, we will end the human project. Is it really that important to first decide if it will occur in ten years or in 50 years before we change course? The best study I've seen on the planet's human carrying capacity--if true sustainability is the goal--was published in a peer-reviewed study by the Royal Society. The final number is about 2 billion, depending on the standard of living desired. If typical American standards are used, it's about 1/4 of that.

“And there are no draconian population controls required. As demographers have shown after Paul Ehrlich's Population Bomb seeped into the public consciousness in the early 1970s, it only took Europe and America three years to get birth rates to fall below replenishment levels--quite voluntarily. There is a social milieu required, though. The right of women to control reproductive choice, honest education on family planning (not just abstinence), pre and post-natal health care. We could choose to do this globally were we to change certain foreign aid requirements. We could be well on our way to a sustainable global population within about three generations as we simultaneously redirect our energies from industrialism into ecological restoration.

“This is not an argument to return to a mythological Garden of Eden or any other such nonsense as sometimes emerges from the deep ecologists. Technology and sustainability can happily coexist. We must abide by carrying capacity, and get waste, excess and greed out of the system--for starters.

“But your faith based argument requires a few definitions as well. For example, define wealth and define prosperity. As John Kenneth Galbraith pointed out in 1958's The Affluent Society, humans don't tend to desire "more" once basic needs have been met. For that to occur requires the worlds largest and most active propaganda machine. It's unfortunate that in order to make it to the position of department chair, one must become both spokesman and mechanic for that machine.”

 

You can hardly argue with such simple, yet dynamic logic.  We engage with reason or we suffer consequences. Thanks Dave!

 

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In a five minute astoundingly simple yet brilliant video, “Immigration, Poverty, and Gum Balls”, Roy Beck, director of www.numbersusa.ORG, graphically illustrates the impact of overpopulation.  Take five minutes to see for yourself:

 

 

“Immigration by the numbers—off the chart” by Roy Beck

This 10 minute demonstration shows Americans the results of unending mass immigration on the quality of life and sustainability for future generations: in a word “Mind boggling!”  www.NumbersUSA.org

This is the best website to start:  www.numbersusa.org ; watch Roy Beck’s “Immigration by the Numbers” at 14 minutes. Bi-partisan and very effective. Become a faxer of pre-written letters to your reps to make positive  change.

Visit www.TheSocialContract.com for the best information on what we face as a civilization as to overpopulation, energy, immigration and much more.

Canada www.immigrationwatchcanada.org ; in Australia www.population.org.au andPublicPopForum@yahoogroups.com; in Great Britain www.populationmatters.org ; and dozens of other sites accessed at www.frostywooldridge.com.   In Florida, www.flimen.org .

Must see DVD: "Blind Spot" www.snagfilms.com/films/title/blind_spot/ , This movie illustrates America's future without oil, water and other resources to keep this civilization functioning. It's a brilliant educational movie! www.blindspotdoc.com

Must see: Rapid Population Decline, seven minute video by Dr. Jack Alpert-

Must see and funny: www.growthbusters.org ; www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXSTrW_dARc
Dave Gardner's Polar Bear in Bedroom:

growthbusters.org/2010/03/save-the-polar-bear-in-your-bedroom ; Dave Gardner, President, Citizen-Powered Media ; Producing the Documentary, GROWTH BUSTERS; presents Hooked on Growth: Our Misguided Quest for Prosperity, Join the cause at www.growthbusters.org ;760 Wycliffe Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 USA; +1 719-576-5565

Check out this link with Wooldridge on bicycle and Lester Brown and panel discussion:

Tomorrow's Americaproject on www.youtube.com/contemporarylearning.

DC: 202-258-4887

 

Email: gac@starbrightmc.com

Link to www.tomorrowsamerica.com for more discussions on America's predicament.

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Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents - from the Arctic to the South Pole - as well as six times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. He presents "The Coming Population Crisis in America: and what you can do about it" to civic clubs, church groups, high schools and colleges. He works to bring about sensible world population balance at www.frostywooldridge.com He is the author of: America on the Brink: The Next Added 100 Million Americans. Copies available: 1 888 280 7715