newbury
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2009
- Messages
- 13,462
- Location
- From Vt, in Va, retiring to MS
- Tractor
- Kubota's - B7610, M4700
I'm not "blaming Africa", that was just a prime example, the same situation exists on all continents. I don't "blame" a group of organisms which when given sufficient resources reproduces, it is the nature of the beast.World population is going to grow until something comes along to disrupt it. Major wars, famines, etc.
Blaming Africa isn't resolving anything. What are you doing to reduce your consumption of this planet? Are you net zero? A good portion of the people in Africa live on a watt hour a day or less. How much energy did you use last month? People in this country use more energy going to the store for a quart of milk than a whole African village uses in a week.
So the problem is population, I agree but that's only half the story, the other half is the massive imbalance of energy. The US uses 1/4 of the world's energy, why aren't you complaining about that!
Rob
What I am blaming is the policy to "feed and breed". When we feed entire large populations with out implementing measures so they don't reproduce beyond their means to support themselves we then have even larger populations to try and maintain.
If you've seen the movie Idiocracy this is where we may be headed. Most smart, hard working people do not have the time to reproduce far beyond their means. People who depend on welfare of others do. Remember the old "welfare queens"?
China's "one child" policy introduced in 1978 was extremely effective in reducing run-away population growth.
I see nothing wrong with sowing a thousand tree seeds on and acre and knowing I'm going to have to kill all but 500 or a 100 before maturity because I only have space for them. I don't like to even think of getting 10 dogs and killing 18 of them before maturity because I only have room for two.
And I have been complaining about people using energy far beyond what I think is necessary when it's using up resources. I let the household thermostat go down to 60 in the winter and up to 75 in the summer (used to be 58 and 80 until I couldn't put up with SWMBO's complaints). I scoff at people who need it 72 year around.
I am amazed at people buying SUV's for daily driving and then complaining about gas prices, people that choose to drive 30 miles daily and complain about commute time.
I and SWMBO were brought up with the adage "Use it Up, Wear it Out Make it Do or Do Without".
I believe that practice, along with good educations, is what has enabled us to obtain our acreage and houses.
And yes, I realize world population will grow, but it could have grown within it's means if we did not pursue the "feed and breed" policies. I believe wars and famine would go a long ways to reducing population, but wouldn't it be kinder, easier, cheaper not to have to kill off part of the population?