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blog action day
October 2009 
The Role of Overpopulation in Global Climate Change
Posted on Oct 15th, 2009
by 
Earon
Earon
Today is Blog Action Day, with a focus on Global Climate Change. There is so much to write about regarding Global Climate Change, which is already resulting in massive destruction to the ecosystems upon which we depend for food, water and other necessities. This time, however, I want to focus on the role of human overpopulation as a key factor in the human contribution to this global crisis.
A few days ago, I attended a panel discussion on Global Climate Change at the Society of Environmental Journalists (http://www.sej.org) conference in Madison, Wisconsin. I also attended a talk by Al Gore on the same topic, updating us about the fact that Global Climate Change is here, and having devastating impacts already. The panel on overpopulation included Prof. Paul Ehrlich, who has been writing about population for decades. It is unfortunate that so little attention is being paid to population issues in the media, apparently because it is such a sensitive topic - and virtually taboo because of the dogmas of particular religions.
Yet, human overpopulation is one of the key causes of the stresses we are placing upon our planetary resources that are leading to global climate change. We will not likely be able to control our destructive consumption and cycles of famine and war until overpopulation eases its constant pressure on planetary resources. To encourage population increases in this era is obviously irrational and in abrogation of the common sense any divine being would have conferred upon our species.
However, through lack of support for family planning and individual control over family size, many organizations around the world are actively sabotaging human efforts to live in balance with our natural world. Through direct social incentives and mandates to produce more children, these organizations promote cultural values found in ancient texts as if we are living thousands of years ago, when, indeed, the planet could easily absorb millions of additional humans. As a result, our species and our planet are further endangered and sound efforts to address global climate change and other global ecological crises such as mass extinctions are thwarted.
It does not matter why people and organizations choose to sabotage efforts to allow the human race to live in peace and prosperity on this planet. Some religious leaders look at today's situation and adapt to the world we live in today, honoring the wisdom of our ancient texts and choosing not to repeat the tragedies of which they repeatedly warn. Yet, others hold onto and re-create the ancient biblical conflicts and disasters, seemingly doomed to repeat the past rather than create a better future. I, for one, fail to see the morality in dooming our species to untold suffering. For the sake of our species, these actions and the attitudes that support them must change.
A few days ago, I attended a panel discussion on Global Climate Change at the Society of Environmental Journalists (http://www.sej.org) conference in Madison, Wisconsin. I also attended a talk by Al Gore on the same topic, updating us about the fact that Global Climate Change is here, and having devastating impacts already. The panel on overpopulation included Prof. Paul Ehrlich, who has been writing about population for decades. It is unfortunate that so little attention is being paid to population issues in the media, apparently because it is such a sensitive topic - and virtually taboo because of the dogmas of particular religions.
Yet, human overpopulation is one of the key causes of the stresses we are placing upon our planetary resources that are leading to global climate change. We will not likely be able to control our destructive consumption and cycles of famine and war until overpopulation eases its constant pressure on planetary resources. To encourage population increases in this era is obviously irrational and in abrogation of the common sense any divine being would have conferred upon our species.
However, through lack of support for family planning and individual control over family size, many organizations around the world are actively sabotaging human efforts to live in balance with our natural world. Through direct social incentives and mandates to produce more children, these organizations promote cultural values found in ancient texts as if we are living thousands of years ago, when, indeed, the planet could easily absorb millions of additional humans. As a result, our species and our planet are further endangered and sound efforts to address global climate change and other global ecological crises such as mass extinctions are thwarted.
It does not matter why people and organizations choose to sabotage efforts to allow the human race to live in peace and prosperity on this planet. Some religious leaders look at today's situation and adapt to the world we live in today, honoring the wisdom of our ancient texts and choosing not to repeat the tragedies of which they repeatedly warn. Yet, others hold onto and re-create the ancient biblical conflicts and disasters, seemingly doomed to repeat the past rather than create a better future. I, for one, fail to see the morality in dooming our species to untold suffering. For the sake of our species, these actions and the attitudes that support them must change.
Access: Public
For the sake of our species, these actions and the attitudes that support them must change.
How would you go about doing so, Earon?
The first step, I believe is to put overpopulation back on the table - throughout the media, policymakers and public discourse. There is currently a taboo against discussing population control. Little policy progress can be made when a subject can't even be talked about.
There have been drastic cutbacks in funding for family planning education throughout the world over the past decade, at the same time that climate change has been responsible for increased stresses on food supplies and distribution systems. There have been campaigns against the use of contraceptives in the developing world as well as the developed world.
From a larger perspective on what can be done about overpopulation, the education and full equality for women around the world is perhaps the most important step that will diminish population growth and enhance peace and prosperity. As families become better educated and women gain social status and protection, family size tends to diminish and quality of life increases.
Yet, there are cultures, nations and religions that support increased family size and increased populations - for the purpose of creating larger followings for their interests - and to put pressure on competing groups they wish to overtake in strength. That this strategy does not bring lasting prosperity is obvious, but many hierarchical systems are fixed on short-term gains without any regard to the damage done to the long-term interests of everyone.
Is this what you were asking about, Meenakshi? Actually, the problems with overpopulation are quite obvious and the answers are not difficult, often involving equal rights and opportunities for girls and women. We just need the courage to re-open the discussions and re-focus the debate on how to best accomplish population reduction throughout the world, including right here in the US. After the Bush Administration's rejection of our former population reduction goals, in furtherance of fundamentalist objectives, I believe that there is no time to be lost.
I agree with much of what you've said, Earon; but my question was more personal and direct: to wit, what can you personally and I personally do if we feel/believe/know that there are too many people on the planet?
For me, as I feel I cannot do much about it, I focus on issues that I can do something about; and I know that personally I do nothing about overpopulation, except not having more than two children.
Meenaksi, if in our lives we help instill the awareness of love and compassion in others, certainly we can help instill the awareness of how overpopulation strains the resources of our planet. We do not have the power to end war, but we do have the power to spread feelings of peace and the awareness that violence is not the solution to our problems.
With overpopulation, we can help remove obstacles to family planning. We can encourage the education of girls and young women around the world. We can work to improve the health and welfare of children so that infant morality rates are not so high as to convince people that they need many children in order to have one or two survive to adulthood. The notion that you can do nothing about overpopulation is not true. It is a culturally determined thought that may be contributed to by the bullying and distortion of some fundamentalists who demand population increases and promote larger families as a form of loyalty to their religions.
By our lives, we provide examples to others, not only in the number of children we produce, but in the number of children we can support and help become productive citizens. More importantly, we can change the impact of our helpless attitudes about overpopulation through education, environmental awareness, honoring the fair trade products of developing nations, and helping make family planning services available globally. There are wonderful programs throughout the world in which nation after nation is encouraging family planning. These are having success - not with draconian measures, but by helping people control their own lives and elevate their standard of living.
You are not alone in feeling helpless about population, Meenakshi. But we are no more helpless than we are willing to accept.
Namaste.
Gee, I get so long-winded! Here are some things people can do to increase sustainability and decrease overpopulation:
- Work for improved status of women and girls around the world through education, economic opportunity and legal rights to be safe and healthy;
- Support funding to make family planning accessible globally in whatever form the local governments favor;
- Help encourage the creation of a culture where fertility issues are not a political issue, but a personal choice, and where religions do not set national or international population policy;
- Encourage cultural values and international programs fostering adoption of unwanted or orphaned children;
- Encourage tolerance and normalization of homosexuality as a natural response to overpopulation and environmental crises, rather than a moral pathology. This has been happening, under the radar screen, for years and I think it is a normal biological adaptation to overpopulation and stress.
- Work for the healthcare rights of children and for child welfare provisions that protect them from physical and emotional abuse.
- Support at least a symbolic reduction in Income Tax deductions for new children in excess of 5, perhaps. Even $10 less of a deduction would indicate a changed priority, as the former policy was definitely intended to encourage large families.
There may not be anything simple to show that we are “green” like “using recyclable bags” and “compact fluorescent light bulbs” - but most of us are aware that those are only symbolic, temporary changes that will make a very small dent in carbon footprints. The most important sustainability practice is to promote cultural change to buying less stuff, living more efficiently, developing alternative energy industries to provide jobs and promoting global availability of family planning services, recognizing that abstinence programs are fine, but don't work anywhere near the scale required at this time.
At the conference I recently attended, it was stated that Islam is not opposed to family planning and, in fact, requires that children be nursed until the age of two, which helps reduce pregnancy. At least one major Imam has issued a declaration favoring family planning. Smaller family size is not anti-Islam or anti-Christian. It is pro-survival. What sad commentary when arcane religious ideologies are so stuck in the past that they serve to threaten creation and imperil the human race.
Those are great ideas, Earon. Actually I won't say I feel helpless about overpopulation; just that I have not sought to make it my focus. As you said, many governments are promoting it. I am glad that you not only feel passionate about this, but are also doing something about it. That is something I feel passionate about: the right to choose what each of us needs to focus on!