WHY POPULATION MATTERS
Editorial - Marilyn Hempel
The unwillingness of many leaders today to address population growth reminds me of the classic story of the stubborn naval captain.
A battleship had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities.
Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow."
"Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out.
Lookout replied, "Steady, captain," which meant they were on a dangerous collision course with that ship. The captain promptly got on the radio, and the following exchange ensued.
U.S. Captain: "We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees to avoid collision."
The reply: "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees to avoid collision."
U.S. Captain: "This is the captain of a U.S. Navy ship. Immediately divert YOUR course 20 degrees."
The reply: "No, repeat, you divert YOUR course 20 degrees."
By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out: "This the largest battleship of the U.S. Navy. Divert your course now or we will be forced to take action against you!!!"
Back came the reply: "This is a lighthouse. You decide."
No matter how much we would like to ignore population growth-or announce that it is over-that does not make it go away. It is like the lighthouse in the story. It is that immense obstacle to ending poverty, to providing security, education, jobs and housing, and a healthy diet and clean water to all human beings, while at the same time protecting parkland and wilderness, and the lives of other creatures on Earth.
Numbers of people and what they do affect everything on Earth. Global warming/climate change and the sixth great extinction are underway, as a direct result of too many people consuming too much of the planet.
In 2005, at least 45 countries with high growth rates, predominantly in Africa and Asia, faced crises related to armed conflicts or natural disasters. Today, nearly 40 million people have fled their homes as a result of conflicts and now are living as refugees outside their countries, or more often, as displaced people within their own countries. "Natural" disasters-such as famines in overcrowded regions with poor soil-have affected millions more. Lest we think we are immune, the effects of overpopulation and overconsumption are felt by us as well. Super hurricanes destroyed many communities in the US in 2005; communities that have not been able to recover. Gasoline and heating oil prices are soaring as we rapidly deplete that resource.
Just like the captain facing the lighthouse, we ignore population impacts at our peril.
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