The Population Bomb
Robert L. Oldershaw
Bee [aka the devine Ms. Hossenfelder],
Knowing whether the population explosion
[which can be empirically documented, if one
looks up pop. vs time] is a huge threat to the
foreseeable future of humankind and other
species, or something we can successfully
deal with as we go along, is a matter of wisdom
and judgement.
Alas, today we have an over-abundance of
analytical expertise - witness the geniuses
at work in the finance industry or in string theory
endeavors. What we seem to be badly missing
are wisdom and judgment, which are more weighted
toward right hemispheric conceptual abilities.
Regarding the severity [or not] of the population
problem, E.O. Wilson has an objective and candid
review of the situation in "The Future Of Life"
[esp. Ch. 2, "the Bottleneck"]. This is not a jeremiad.
Wilson calmly describes the reality of the situation.
We can wake up from our ignorance and our delusions
and our self-interests. Or we can suffer the consequences.
Our choice.
Hoping for a new paradigm,
RLO
www.amherst.edu/~rloldershaw
Robert L. Oldershaw
wrote:
> From "Backreaction" blog:
>
ADDENDUM:
You mention good medical care as a crucial
factor in decreasing excessive birth rates.
Here is an excellent case in point. You are right,
but why is medical care often so poor? It is
because the whole economy of the area is poor.
And that is largely because the inhabitatnts have
overpopulated the territory and have started
decimating the natural resources upon which
they rely [whacking down all the trees for firewood
is like eating all your seed stocks].
So: over-population leads to environmental problems,
which lead to economic problems, which lead to
poor medical care, which leads to over-population.
See how it works? See how to break the cycle?
And this applies not just in highly under-developed
countries. With slightly modified inputs the same
basic anaysis applies in the good ol' USA, where
we have just passed the 300 milion mark, I believe.
Time for action, not just words,
Time for a new paradigm.
Robert L. Oldershaw
wrote:
>
"I agree with you, but how do you wake up people
numbed down by scary stories of catastrophes
and disasters in their press, people who proclaim
they aren't interested in politics, base their decision
on believe and fashion, and pray if they have a problem?
Best,
B."
The only valid and morally acceptable approach
I can think of is education. Scientists actually do
very little educating of the public, generally preferring
to reside well above the masses and making their
glass bead games so abstruse that they are insulated
from the public and largely come into contact only with
other glass bead game players.
Scientists, politicians, celebrities, religious leaders and
anyone who has the "pulpit" from which to reach out
and teach people should devote 10% of their
time to lifting the masses [worldwide] out of their
medieval fog and into the light of scientific reason and
knowledge [tested science not untestable pseudo-science,
mind you].
What we seek is an evidence-based approach to
knowledge and living. The key ingredients are
critical thinking and a commitment to honesty.
We also need leaders who lead because it is the
right thing to do, not for money, careers, fame, or
power. Simply because they love nature and science.
Ok, so I'm an idealist. Why not!
RLO
www.amherst.edu/~rloldershaw
Sean_VN
ultra-toxin. And what do evolutionary systems do when they are faced
with a toxin in their environment - they evolve around it. They become
immune to it and carry on breeding. Perhaps the most ethical solution
is to develop sex robots and give humans the illusion they are mating
with a real person. That would be a good way to keep the population
in check. If it is not held in check then the consequences can only
be dire, with terrible human suffering involved.
Graystar
They are filling up the planet vastly more than 3rd world countries are.
It's time for showing some reciprocity.
Allow the USA and Europe to recover from the population invasions that have
decimated their numbers, usurping the very nature of those countries.
Funnel enough water <essential to life to a point> down someone's throat and
they will die.
Funnel enough illegal or legal immigrants into a country that is not
assimilating them into the receiving countries culture,
and that culture will die... because the Newbies are clueless how to do
anything other than what they were doing.
They must become acculturated and that is NOT happening to the degree it
needs to.
Immigrants are important, but not when they flood a country to the point
of destroying the influences and benefits of that countries existing
culture.
BTW, the Ehrlich's book is full of crap. It was crap even when I read it on
the 1st *Earth Day*.
It is a static model that does not take into account innovation.
The USA mainly <with some collaboration from other countries as
well -*through immigration*> have debunked Ehrlich.
It is not population so much that is causing problems. Technology overcomes
those problems. Those involved who become slackers because they think they
can or that they deserve it also cause problems because they do not get
outside of their boxes to see the problems they create and they accept no
feedback unless it comes as a lawsuit <even that doesn't always work>.
Right now the main problem is incompetence with no accountability.
Criminals run rampant because good people have been dumbed down and denied
access to decent training and access to a ladder to gain competence. The
rush to Over-Credentialization requirements by employers is in response to
rising paranoia in an undefined unstable market.
That is fault lies at the feet of current elected officials who are
deliberately destroying the seedbed of innovation and have never run a
business themselves. In fact they are saying all that we had before is
wrong and it is time for "Change". <to What? Stone Knives and Bearskins?>
Criminals elected to office, whatever their stripe, are killing innovation.
So if you want to go back to the Dark Ages
with the help of a world wide cadre of Super Filthy Rich "Goldfinger"
Ideologs
that are clueless about how things work and
have made up the religion of "Environmentalism"
<much like they did Scientology on a bet in a bar>,
both having Nothing to do with Science other than using it as a foil to
steal money...
then continue to kill the innovators in the USA
and watch the world fall into the pit of "Oh well!, it is Allah's Will"
slacker BS.
Be yet another idiot who thinks *Watchmen* was a good movie as a model for
the world.
Yeah, I got a load of what Libs believe about "Ethics" back in University
when they were thinking it was a good idea to mandate that doctors be
forced to *serve*
in small communities regardless of the civil rights and freedoms of the
doctors involved.
I reminded them of 1984 and Ayn Rand...
They didn't listen. They did not want to consider the *ethics* because they
believed in their juvenile adolescent convictions
without regard to unintended consequences.
So I went "John Galt" on a medical career even after passing MCATs. Screw
Them!
So go ahead.... get your *fake* doctors to take care of you
who will then bleed you and the system dry for money
and never do the definitive scientific work to find out what the issues
REALLY are.
They simply won't have the skills to DO the work,
but they will demand the money anyway and lie to you,
and most of that money will go to a sleezy dufus politician
because all doctors are now Government employees
who get their compensation dictated to them
by politicans and bureacracies.
<how long do you think THAT will last? hmmm? Do you really think the USA can
be run as CUBA is run? That stupid RU?>
Yeah, joy... Joseph Stalin here we come. It is inevitable.
I don't think you will *need* the robots or the pills.
There are more horrible and violent *final solutions* that current
politicans prefer... and will render...
and they are pushing hard for it right now to justify what they are going to
do.
Stand in line for your individual consignment from the government of
Afghanistan derived Opium pills so that you can just... look at all the
pretty colors...
Because on this current path it is going to get real ugly.
*John Galt
"Sean_VN" <sea...@live.com> wrote in message
http://www.USENETHOST.com 100% Uncensored , 100% Anonymous, 5$/month Only!
Robert L. Oldershaw
wrote:
>
Here's a simpler solution:
(1) Educate people.
(2) Encourage them to act rationally.
Given human resistance to any form of change, this 2-step process
would be a long-term prioject.
But it must be done, and hopefully it could be done creatively and
enthusiastically.
"Failure is not an option", as they say.
Robert L. Oldershaw
www.amherst.edu/~rloldershaw