Wise words on over population

Letter to the Editor

As a long time “greenie” I generally agree with and applaud the content(s) of Eco but with the passing years and the worsening global situation I am beginning to see it all as an exercise in futility for one simple reason. We a refusing to acknowledge and face, let alone take any effective action, about the underlying cause for most of our problems — the human population explosion.

Sure, its good to preserve animal habitats, to preserve our rivers and forests, but until we understand where the pressures for their destruction are coming from, and deal with that, we are facing an uphill battle.

The simple fact is that we have a growing population which needs more housing and infrastructure, which needs a growing economy to pay for it, which needs a growing population to support it, which needs more housing and infrastructure, etc, etc.

We are on an upward spiral and we cannot change any one of the parameters without drastically affecting the others (a decrease in the birth rate would increase the problems of an ageing population, for example).

But even with far more efficient use of resources this upward spiral obviously cannot continue indefinitely on a finite world, and the longer it is allowed to continue the more drastic will be the consequences for humanity and for the planet.

I am, now 74 and had hoped to be long gone before such drastic changes eventuate, but with the increasing rate at which the consequences of the growing population are becoming apparent, I am no longer so sure, even about that!

Dmitri Perno

Related articles:

1. Population: the real problem?
2. Population: perpetual growth is not the answer
3. Population: looking at the numbers with Bob Abbot
4. The real cost of population growth
5. Paul Summers: population distribution, size and sustainability