David Attenborough sticks his neck out.

I guess he feels his TV career is coming to an end now so its time to tell a few truths, bit too late though in my opinion:(

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090413/tuk-attenborough-in-population-warning-6323e80.html

 

He has nothing to lose in saying this. His opinion is respected (think of the viewing figures he brings to the Beeb with his programmes, so he's fairly safe).

Oh yes, and he's right! Population needs to be controlled. How? That's more difficult.

 

His opinion is respected until he says something the BBC dont like.
Bit of a taboo subject I'm thinking.

 

Someone has to say it ...

1% growth (not much, eh?) means that population will double every 70 years - a human lifespan.

twice as many in 70 years, 4-times in 140, 8-times in 210 years.

Each human will expect a home, petrol, electricity, a car ...

... probably more ... when I was young I didn't expect a mobile phone, DVD, Satellite TV ... or, for that matter, a Washing machine, Dishwasher, iPod, 2 foreign holidays, or more, a year., and fresh vegetable or fruit at any time of the year, a Jacuzzi or a power shower, more than one car per family, not using the Bus, devices consuming power left on "Standby" when not in use, Toy Cookers and other kitchen appliances made out of plastic - instead of a couple of up-turned sauce-pans and a wooden spoon, plastic non-bio-degradeable bags instead of paper bags ("because they are lighter and cost less to transport")

But its a hobby horse of mine, as I'm sure you know well ...

 

Good on him but no one will take any notice i'm afraid, but don't worry something like bird flu or some other global catastrophe will sort things out, nature has a way of doing this.

 

High infant mortality, bad nutrition and inability to cure, or at least slow down, most diseases in the past helped keep the population under control. The population in Britain is falling slightly, as it is in most Western countries. But...improved health and education (teaching parents by whatever way possible that they don't need to have large numbers of children) in the Developing World mean their populations are exploding, and as Kristen says, they are expecting the same creature comforts and standards we have in the West.


Hmmmmm....

Anyone ever wondered that the appearance of killer diseases such as Ebola, HIV, even TB might be natures way of evening things up?

Its a thorny subject - our ability to save a life that might not otherwise survive is wonderful and amazing but at what cost? Maybe us childless couples need to be rewarded for NOT having children?:cnfs:

 

"Maybe us childless couples need to be rewarded for NOT having children"

Why not? They is talk of transferable quotas for Carbon Emissions - so perhaps everyone should get a Quota for a Child (i.e. a couple can have two) then you could sell your quota ...

 

I agree, I really believe nature will sort it out.
People always say ,'why' to the many deaths when there is some huge natural catastrophe.
It's terrible but it happens.

 

Nature will sort it all out. Nobody is sure what 'global warming' will mean for everyone, but there seems to be too schools of thought. In one version, Britain and the likes will get a climate similar to that of north africa, and we won't be able to grow our main food crops anymore. In another school of thought, Britain and the likes will see extreme storms, a shifting of the gulf stream and cooler temperatures, so our main food crops won't grow anymore. The closer you get to the equator, the more settled, but warmer, the local climate will be.

In any case, food production will be very badly affected because local conditions will no longer be suitable for the crops that usually grow there. Food prices will rise as supply falls, and lots of people will go hungry and starve.

Human numbers won't be all that reduces, but the planet has survived many cataclismic events over its history. It will survive a man made one. But nature isn't alway nice, nature's way of dealing with stuff is often extremely ruthless, and unless we (mankind in general) get our act together, we'll be on the receiving end.

Of course there are two things we can count on to do alright no matter what. Rabbits and Bindweed.