IPFS
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Frosty Wooldridge
More About: EnvironmentSeries on overpopulation in America—accelerating growth consequences
Part 1: Quotes that make
impact on America and around the world, denial, displacement, ignorance
Nobel Laureate Dr. Henry
W. Kendall said, “If we don’t halt population growth with justice and
compassion, it will be done for us by nature, brutally and without pity – and
will leave a ravaged world.”
What did he mean by that
rather abrupt if not deadly statement?
How can one of the few human beings on the planet who earned a Nobel
Prize come to such a deliberate understanding? Why don’t more humans recognize the
same reality facing humanity in the 21st century?
As a world bicycle
traveler across six continents, I witnessed firsthand with my own eyes what Dr.
Kendall expresses in his statement. One
look at China and India gives you an idea of the consequences of “exponential
growth” at its end-most destination. Even worse, Bangladesh houses 157 million
people in a landmass the size of Ohio.
Can you imagine half the US population living in Ohio? Can you imagine the ecological damage as to shortages
of drinkable water, sewage pollution, carbon emission exhausts, growing food to
fill the bellies of those 157 million impoverished bodies, not to mention human
crowding and loss of any quality of life?
(Humanity digs and carves
the planet up for the remaining resources which dwindle while humans continue
on their growth rampage.) Photo by National Geographic
Kendall talks about
halting population growth with “compassion and justice.” What does that mean? Answer: it means humans need to take their
fecundity rates into their own hands and provide for birth control and family
planning that brings human populations into balance with the carrying capacity
of the planet. Exponential growth
cannot and will not be tolerated by Mother Nature. She already starves to death over 10 million
children annually and another eight million adults. That’s the “…will be done by nature, brutally
and without pity…” aspect of Dr. Kendall’s
statement.
(Humans spill toxic oil
by the millions upon millions of barrels into our oceans and across the land by
dumping it without concern.) Photo by
National Geographic
What constitutes
exponential growth? The term means:
endless growth of any organism. That
growth ultimately results in overwhelming the carrying capacity of area in
which it thrives and finally, collapse and possible extinction of that species.
As it stands today,
according to UK Oxford University’s Norman Myers, human encroachment upon worldwide
habitat causes the extinction of 80 to 100 species daily. That means those creatures no longer exist
because humanity overwhelms its own carrying capacity and destroys the food,
water and living area for other species.
Thus, humanity creates the most dangerous aspect of Mother Nature’s “carrying
capacity” limits. The current rate of
extinction within the United States runs at 250 creatures annually. (Source: U.S. Department of Interior)
Collapsed civilizations
litter history books: Easter Island, Mayan Empire, Incas, Anasazi, Vikings,
Rwanda, Haiti and more to come. Read
Jared Diamond’s: Collapse—How societies choose to fail or succeed.
Those
civilizations collapsed via exhaustion of food or water, i.e. they overwhelmed
their carrying capacity.
(Humans
create electrical energy by burning billions upon billions of tons of coal that
pollutes the atmosphere that creates air polluted cities and acid rain that
destroys top soil and acidifies our oceans that kills marine, avian, plant and
reef life. With endless population growth, it can only worsen beyond solving.)
Photo by National Geographic
Today,
nearly all of humanity overrides its carrying capacity in oil-driven and
oil-fed countries. Without oil, the
United States could not exist with its 315 million inhabitants. Without the gasoline-filled tractors planting
and harvesting enormous amounts of food, we could not feed the current number
of people in the USA.
Noted
geologist Walter Youngquist said, “This is going to be an interesting decade,
for the perfect storm is brewing—energy, immigration and oil imports.
China grows in direct confrontation for remaining oil. I think the USA is
on a big, slippery downhill slope. Will the thin veneer of civilization
survive?”
Youngquist continued, “Beyond oil, population
is the number one problem of the 21st century, for when oil is gone
as we know and use it today—and it WILL be gone—population will still be here.”
He states the obvious. Today, accelerating
from 7.1 billion humans, our species will grow to 10.1 billion hungry people by
mid-century. Unfortunately, by 2050,
humans will have used up most of the oil on the planet. Our current rate of 84 million barrels per
day pales in comparison of the predicted usage by China by 2030 of 98 million
barrels per day. With the added 3.1
billion humans, oil usage will grow to over 200 million barrels burned
daily. The carbon footprint havoc on our
biosphere and oceans will prove cataclysmic.
(Source: The Long Emergency by
James Howard Kunstler)
(Oil spills and oil drilling create endless
damage to our biosphere and to wildlife worldwide. The grease job on this pelican caused his
death.) Photo by National Geographic
When you look back on history’s ragged mane,
those collapsed civilizations passed into oblivion without much fanfare. But with major cities like Los Angeles sporting
12 million; New York City with 19 million; Mexico City with 19 million; Bombay
with 20 million; Sao Paulo with 20 million; Delhi with 22 million; Tokyo featuring
a staggering 36 million and all the other overloaded cities around the world—it
becomes obvious that humanity cannot exist without oil—but oil will soon vanish. Unfortunately, nothing on technology’s
horizon can duplicate the energy we receive from oil. To say it’s going to get ugly with that many
people bunched up in those cities may be the understatement of the 21st
century.
At the end of Kendall’s statement, he said, “…and
will leave a ravaged world.” You may
appreciate the “Seven wonders of the world” created by human beings. Glorious
triumphs of architecture and human engineering!
However, we could add the “Seven tragedies of the world” created by
humans such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Sixth Extinction Session,
Overly polluted Biosphere, Acidified and Destroyed Oceans, Acid Rain Phenomenon,
Destruction of Worldwide Rainforests, Human Misery Index and more to come.
We may prove ourselves a clever species, but
none too smart. None too reasoning. None
too rational. None too proactive.
Can America lead the world in this quest for
a sustainable future? Can it change its
course from its current overload of 315 million on its way to 625 million
within this century and probably on toward 1 billion in the first part of the
22nd century?
As
Dr.Kendall stated, “If we don’t halt population growth with justice and compassion, it
will be done for us by nature, brutally and without pity – and will leave a
ravaged world.”
We need to get busy in
order to provide a livable world for all creatures including ourselves.
##
If you would like to make a difference, please join these
organizations for the most effective collective action you can take: www.CapsWeb.org ; www.NumbersUSA.org ; www.TheSocialContract.com ; www.Fairus.org
Join me, Frosty
Wooldridge, with Dave Chaffin, host of the Morning Zone at 650 AM, www.KGAB.com, Cheyenne, Wyoming every Monday 7:00
a.m. to 8:00 a.m., as we discuss my latest commentaries on www.NewsWithViews.com about issues facing America. You may stream the show on
your computer. You may call in at: 1-888-503-6500.
##
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 few words, “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-
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 ; Trailer to his
latest movie on overpopulation: http://youtu.be/KLWxWOcUrVc
Check out this link with Wooldridge on bicycle and Lester
Brown and panel discussion:
Tomorrow's Americaproject on www.youtube.com/contemporarylearning.
Producer: GEORGE A. COLBURNwww.tomorrowsamerica.com
DC: 202-258-4887
Email: gac@starbrightmc.com
Link to www.tomorrowsamerica.com
for more discussions on America's predicament.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Alexandra Paul talks about human overpopulation and saving
our world by all women having 1 child only:
One planet, one child:
This film will rock you: MOTHER: CARING FOR 7 BILLION
Dr. Jack Alpert , www.skil.org
|
Too Many People Video
series
How Much Degrowth is Enough? "NEW" Sept. 2012
|
===================================================
We must come to terms with birth control and stabilizing
human population. This three minute video brings the terror of India’s
predicament up close and personal by Paul Winn of Australia:
##
Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six
continents - from the Arctic to the South Pole - as well as eight times across
the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the
Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. In 2012, he bicycled coast to coast
across America. He presents “The Coming
Population Crisis facing America: what to do about it.” www.frostywooldridge.com . His latest
book is: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World by
Frosty Wooldridge, copies at 1 888 280 7715/ Motivational program: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World
by Frosty Wooldridge, click: www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com
Live well, laugh often, celebrate daily and enjoy the ride,
Frosty Wooldridge
Golden, Colorado
6 Continent world bicycle traveler
Order these unique cards today: http://www.howtolivealifeofadventure.com/
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1 Comments in Response to Series on overpopulation in America—accelerating growth consequences
There is way less danger from overpopulation than there is from keeping the masses stuck together in gigantic cities. Spread the people out. Get rid of the problem of overpopulation at the same time. In fact, there is good reason to keep the population growing, and to keep them somewhat spread out. You figure it out. You won't like it when you do.