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  • From: dwoodard@becon.org
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Design-Bioregional-Energy/overpopulation
  • Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 03:31:16 -0400 (EDT)

On the other hand, if we don't limit our own population, it will be
limited for us the hard and nasty way, involving starvation. disease and
war.

Take your pick.

The fertility rate in Italy is at around 60% of replacement rate. Canada
is around 80%. The state of Kerala, in India, where the per capita
resource consumption is under 5% of that in North Amercia, has a fertility
rate which is falling below replacement rate, while their human
development level is about the highest in India, comparable to say
Portugal. It can be done, without harshness.

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada



> Don says "I few words....let's limit the worlds population, lets stop
> interfering
> with nature. what is it that makes humans of greater value than say an
> ant???"
>
> This is unlikely to ever be a popular suggestion.
>
> In fact this sentiment is capitalized upon by the greenwash artists who
> artfully incline the public against ideas like conservation, recycling and
> sustainable uses in general. They tend to paint everyone in the movement
> as being
> dangerous radicals who don't care about human beings or the future of
> civilization, telling us we're no more important than ants, and should be
> curbed to save
> the world for the butterflies and the birds.
>
> Which, of course, is true to some degree. But when you put it out there
> like
> that, all the folks in mainstream America tend to come out against
> whatever it
> is we're for. I would underplay that whole approach when speaking to a
> wider
> audience, and leave unsaid the connection between (a) our overconsumption
> of
> world resources and (b) the need for fewer people.
>
> When put that way, it can be bent to seem like we're in favor of mass
> extermination campaigns. And at any rate, people will decide to reproduce
> themselves
> for strongly felt reasons all their own. I think they might resent having
> any
> organization inside or out of government telling them how many kids are
> recommended nowadays.
>
> Michael






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