We are running out of planet and there are too many people.  Or, maybe there aren’t.

Americans are only 5% of the world’s population, but use almost 25% of the world’s resources.  People cannot agree on whether climate change is affected by human population.  Maybe the question should be — is climate change affected by the American population and should that be reduced.  Some environmentalists and scientists feel governments could limit the amount of children people should have due to resources being finite on Planet Earth.  Humans now number close to 7 billion.   We may reach 9 billion people  by 2050, and it could happen sooner.  Can the planet handle all these resource-gobbling, atmosphere-changing masses of humanity? I think it could, if we didn’t rely on consumption for our world economies.

Climate and Capitalism feels population is not the problem either; it’s how many resources that population uses.  There is a huge disparity in the amount of resources used and pollution generated by various populations of different countries.  (See stats below and this video: Betsy Hartmann on Climate Change Politics and Overpopulation Propaganda, here for more). I think it’s obvious that people are causing global warming so aiming for fewer people might certainly help — in the wealthier, more polluting countries like the U.S.  especially.   One way to limit the amount of people on earth that would be more natural than others would be to deny couples fertility treatments if they already have one child.  That makes sense to me.  Another is to spread intelligent family planning in countries where this is not available.  (I do not agree with some of what Hartmann says, by the way.  There will be millions of climate refugees some day and there will be border and resource issues).

Unfortunately many Americans don’t know the meaning of the phrase “use less resources”.   We have been brainwashed by various right-wing politicians who have told us and the world that the American lifestyle will not be changed, it’s not negotiable, under any circumstances.  This leads to a feeling of entitlement and a license to consume more.  Other country’s populations may share that mindset too. Have our leaders told us about the dangers of over consumption yet?  Of course not. Consumption is what keeps the economy going in capitalistic countries . More is more! This idea spills over into having children, for some people.

Making Babies . . .

A recent issue of  People magazine showcased an American family called the “Duggars” who have 19 children. They are not ruling out Baby #20. It strikes me that 19 children is beyond the pale, so to speak. Frannie Armstrong, the filmmaker who wrote and directed The Age of Stupid, shares this information: ” The Guardian has brought up the environmental issue which dare not speak its name in a big feature article. . . . . I was interviewed for the piece during the Copenhagen Stupid Show madness and then spent the next few [...]