Steve, ( ...welcome to Canada).
I shall try an explanation of why many put on velvet gloves when dealing
with the population issue.
Life itself and the procreation of life are 'the' two fundamental,
genetically pre-programmed values of all living beings. Without these, we
would not be here to discuss the matter. How important procreation is can
be seen in the many cases were animal or human individuals sacrifice their
own life to save their offspring.
Today, sacrificing human life on the altar of 'higher powers' is out of
fashion. But, limiting the rights to procreation is, for many, a sacrifice
of equal magnitude to the sacrifice of life. The 'right to procreate' is up
there with the 'right to life'. It is taboo, one is not supposed to touch
that one.
What we need is a rational override of the instinctual values. However, to
attempt that one must be very sure that it is necessary. But, to be sure on
this complex issue is not easy; we are using scientific reasoning, and that
has erred before. For example, Rutherford declared in 1929 that anyone who
thinks that the newly discovered atomic nucleus had any practical
implications was a fool. Even if we have the firm conviction that the
capacity for human life of the planet is full, it will take a lot of
education on a global scale to achieve rational action on that problem.
If we are right, and can't get rational action in time, then the ethnic
cleansing solution will be globalized. Central Europeans, including the
Serbs, have not learned it in the painful lesson of WW2. What are our
chances to achieve it with gentle persuation?
Helmut (Ken) Burkhardt
Adjunct Professor of Physics
Ryerson Polytechnic University
Toronto ON Canada M5B 2K3
Tel: 416-979-5000 x 7246
Fax: 416-698-1214
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Kurtz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Friends of Sustainability <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; futurework
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; gaiapc-list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
indicators list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 1999 8:25 AM
Subject: ZPG & Y6B
> Re-post from KZPG (excerpt) by Ed Glaze
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> "We don't see Y6B as a problem, but rather a milestone," said
> Zero Population Growth Director of Communications Tim Cline. The mission
> of
> Y6B is to educate women, provide women with economic opportunities and
> provide women with more reproductive health care.
>
>
> Ed says:
>
> Again ZPG seems to avoid taking a stance on stopping or
> reducing overpopulation. A milestone is thought of by most
> people as an achievement and ZPG states that a population
> of 6 billion is not a problem. Whose side are these guys on?
>
> If one of the leading population organizations implies that
> continued growth is not a problem is it any wonder that our
> government, media, and couples everywhere are unconcerned
> about overpopulation?
>
> ZPG, by failing to take a stance on overpopulation, is undoing
> or at least limiting the impact all its population education
> programs may be having. Numbers are important and yet it
> is not hard to imagine that in about a dozen years ZPG will
> acknowledge yet another milestone -- Y7B.
