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Re: E-M:/ global warming/population
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Enviro-Mich message from "Anna Dorothy Graham" <grahama9@msu.edu>
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One way to combat poverty is for a government to implement a strict one
child per family policy -- this is exactly what China did and why China did
it, and you can all see where China is today (which is not necessarily a
good thing for the rest of the world in terms of their increasing
consumption, but it certainly improved living conditions in China).
I wouldn't ever advocate measures like forced sterilization and forced
abortion, but I don't think we should provide foreign aid to poor countries
that do not have a responsible family planning program in place. I also
think that rich nations allow poor nations to externalize their population
problems with liberal immigration policies. Our own is among the most
liberal in the world (believe it or not).
Anna
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Enviro-Mich message from "Chris Reader" <xopher@tigerburningbright.net>
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Clearly, we can't continue to expand infinitely, and our population is
exceeding local carrying capacity in many areas on the planet. We may
be nearing, or past, global carrying capacity.
The question is, how do you address this on a global basis? The
ability to breed is, I think, seen as basic freedom. Restricting it
outright would be draconian and likely counter productive.
In many westernized countries, birth rates are below replacement
levels, which is great. This is probably due to many things, some of
which probably include access to reproductive information,
contraceptives, and to the cost of raising a child in a western
culture.
It seems to me then that the best way to address global population
problems is to address poverty. This doesn't mean bringing everyone up
to a western standard of living, in my opinion, but helping people
provide for their basic needs as appropriate. I think this includes
food, heat, cooking energy, shelter, clean water, medical care, and
education. Many of these solutions, also, should help the environment.
I think that projects like design for the other 90%
(http://other90.cooperhewitt.org/about/) are the kinds of things we
should be starting with, and they should be part of our national
environmental effort.
Imagine if we had a world wide "Marshall Plan" or "Apollo Program" for
the environment, and this was one part of it.
Best Regards,
Christopher Reader
On 2/7/08, Larry Nooden <ldnum@umich.edu> wrote:
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Enviro-Mich message from Larry Nooden <ldnum@umich.edu>
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I have waited deliberately to make an additional comment about this
problem.
Care should be taken not to allow the human population problem or
discussions of this problem to be obfuscated with racial
politics/anxieties or highjacked for racial agendas on either side.
There is a genuine environmental problem here, and it needs to be addressed.
--On Thursday, February 07, 2008 11:25 AM -0500 Larry Nooden
<ldnum@umich.edu> wrote:
> Just a reminder- If anyone out there still thinks that the current human
> population increases and transmigrations are sustainable, have a look at
> this population graph from a major college biology text.
>
> <http://www-personal.umich.edu/~ldnum/HumPoplnGr.10,000yrs.jpg>
>
> You would not believe how scientists have been attacked for even daring
> to mention this issue.
>
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Anna Kirkwood Graham, J.D., Ph.D.
"There is no trifling with nature; it is always true, grave and severe; it
is always in the right, and the faults and errors fall to our share."
-- Goethe
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ENVIRO-MICH: Internet List and Forum for Michigan Environmental
and Conservation Issues and Michigan-based Citizen Action. Archives at
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