The Population Bomb - 2012

Here's the one subject that remains uncomfortable for even average people to talk about.  Well, damn. Maybe it's time to bite the bullet.  There isn't a cultural or civilization scale problem on this planet that isn't at it's core about too many people chasing after too few resources.  The developed nations have largely used up their own mineral and biological wealth, so they are now  fighting over the largest stores that remain. Those stores are in the poorest countries,  which also happen to often be the same places where the human population is growing the fastest. The entire Africa continent is under seige, with China, Europe, Russia, and the U.S. jousting over who's going to control what the African nations have.

There are seven billion - that's billion with a B - humans on planet Earth. Everyone of those folks needs a minimum amount of food, water, and shelter to survive. Some of us, those of us living in the US, Canada, Europe, and some of the Asian nations are doing okay  But about two-thirds of the people living on the planet are not doing okay. They are living marginally at best.  At the same time, they aspire to what the developed nations have, and why shouldn't they? . They have every right to want what those of us who are privileged have. The problem is, there just isn't enough to go around.

The world is still adding about 75 million to the human population every year. There is no wisdom in that. It is insanity. 

We have the means to moderate our population problem.  We have the ability to manage our fertility to limit the number of births to those that are truly wanted.  It is entirely possible to eliminate unwanted pregnancies.

That's already happened in the developed nations.  It's the poorest places that keep on growing.   Until they have unfettered access to contraception; until they have reproductive choice, the Earth's human population is going to keep on growing.

It is just crazy  that we don't talk about this issue. It is the 500 lb gorilla lurking behind every conversation about global climagte change, deforestation, water scarcity; you name it.  

There are already too many humans on planet Earth.  There ought to be a way we as a human culture can talk about this thoughtfully and work together to stabilize then reduce our population numbers over the next century to a level that is sustainable over the long term.

Until we take on population, everyting we do to save water, stop deforestation, protect the oceans, etc are  only treating symptoms.  Time has long passed for us to  recognize that we are the problem. There are too many of us, and that simply must change.