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The Consideration of Population
 
Let's be green. We can watch Planet Green (which inspired this post) and we can talk about how to make our houses more energy efficient. We can also talk about how we can all get energy efficient vehicles. Add to that ideas of compact fluorescent lights, shopping locally and driving hybrid vehicles.
Everyone has an idea of how to make the planet more "green" except for the most obvious one. Here's a simple fact: man has no natural predator.
In the days before industrialization and medicine, man was subject to culling just like any other species on the planet - there was a natural predator called disease and infection and now man has managed to, for the most part, overcome that enemy. Now, man has no other enemy than man, himself.
Since the early 1970's the population of the Earth has increased by a third. If that rate of population growth is expected to continue then, fellow inhabitants, we are in for some serious shit. And it's not like the situation when Europe was overpopulated with proletariat and many escaped to the "New World" of the Americas - there is nowhere to escape to.
The greatest threat to our, or our kids, way of life is not communism, nor is it terrorism, nor any other ideological "ism" - it is, quite simply, overpopulation. Earth, as a planet can, potentially, support twenty times its existing population but, before you go running off and fucking like rabbits to produce that 20x population, consider that the Earth can also sustain a two-thirds nuclear annihilation before there is any danger of extinction to the human race. We don't, out of fear, go randomly pushing buttons and launching ICBMs because of the pretty colors (or, at least, since the Atmospheric Test Ban Treaty) but we will happily strive to have a family of six, seven, eight or .. fourteen!
Perhaps, before having children, people should be able to take a test proving that they understand the principles of exponential mathematics. The Lord said "go forth and multiply" but I don't think he ever said "go forth and stifle yourselves into oblivion in human life." You owe one life to the Earth and have one only life to replace - your own. Beyond that you share in the responsibility of the overpopulation of this Earth. Although the demise of our planet and variety of species may be considered the problem of future generations, they will have to live with eating Soylent Green and working as furniture - is that the life you wish for them when you hold them in your arms as a babe?
Be green. The population of Earth, in human terms, must stop. And we must do it humanely, by stopping the overgrowth by curbing new birth. Our Soul can only sustain the burden for so long.10:00 PM 3/19/2009
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