OVERPOPULATION

Is overpopulation a real threat or only a Myth?

Do we need to worry about overpopulation?

That's a resounding yes, overpopulation is real in some areas now, and is a real possibility in other areas, whether or not some think otherwise, and if we do not do something soon, it may have disastrous effects on human society worldwide.

While our population rate of increase reached its peak around 1963 at 2.2%, it has steadily declines to 1.1% in 2009, yet our total numbers have and continue to increase. In 1804, we reached the 1 billion mark. It took us 123 years to reach 2 billion. Now it takes us only 12 years to gain another billion. Yet some nations are declining in numbers: Russia, France, Germany, Poland and Italy are offering incentives to their people to propagate. While China once had a freeze on their citizen's reproduction, their population has now leveled off and they discontinued it. Other countries have exceeded their maximum and are enduring a period of famine

What's ahead

If we continue unchecked indulging in our favorite pastime activity we will, somewhere down the line, produce more people than we are able to feed, especially here in the US where we are used to stuffing our gullets with much more food than is required to sustain us. Depending on whom you talk to, number crunchers estimate world population will soon double again somewhere between 2030 and 2050. We live longer and healthier, we drive safer, we continue eliminating things that used to take our lives.

As intelligent as we are, we are still prone to letting things go until it's too late. It is possible our neglect will cause the meltdown of our ecosystem. Once that happens, Mother Nature will spend a couple hundred thousand years recuperating.

Remember when Australia exploded with an abundance of rabbits. Think of Earth in that situation and us being the rabbits. Of course, this abundance of rabbits was because they went unchecked and there were no predators. The little fur balls threatened the food supply for all other creatures in that area. It's a good example of overpopulation of a species and how it threatens all life. I remember watching scenes of people wielding clubs as they randomly clubbed rabbits to death. It reminded me of how men used to hunt seals and nearly eradicated them. Who is going to put the club to us?

Would the overpopulation of our species ultimately escalate to a point where we had to use such drastic measures? It's conceivable. There are places on earth now where babies and young children are starving to death as their parents sit by frustrated and helpless. We see it on TV every day as we sit at the dinner table stuffing our faces and shaking our disbelieving heads too. It's not happening in our backyard where our chubby children inhale grease-stuffed burgers and oil soaked fries while washing it down with sugar laden drinks. We need to wake up and see what is before our eyes. If we don't do something soon, nature will ultimately take care of it for us. Take warning; don't tempt Mother Nature, she is a ruthless wench. We too, are a ruthless species. Because we are the dominate life forms, we feel it is our right to treat everything, including the planet that sustains us, however we please. Will seldom learn from our mistakes?

Things that exasperate overpopulation

I have mentioned one above. Our religious brethren intervene in the way of live of others. As missionaries, they go into indigenous tribes who have happily survived for centuries in their way of life by living off what the land provides. These foreigners come along bearing gifts and a new way of life. The invaders assure these childlike people if they accept this new God and follow his ways, He will provide for them. The missionaries convince them that they have been living an evil life and need true spiritual guidance. The only true god is this new god, who says it is evil to use any type of birth control or contraception. Sex is only for producing offspring. And then they give a goodbye and farewell, and tell them not to worry, God will provide for them if they practice His ways."

These poor people still wait for God's assistance while they slip deeper into oblivion. Their children melt away and disease runs rampant

Of course, we know this does not work. Few believers in this ritual seldom follow it, and those who do have large families. Thus, they exacerbate the condition. Others protest in front of abortion clinics claiming taking a fetus is murder, yet they blow up clinics, kill doctors and advocate death for women who want to rid their bodies of an unwanted malignant growth. This is all in the name of their God. When does my god get to enter the picture?

Some believe overpopulation is not now nor never will be a problem. They say it's a hoax created to authenticate abortion and the use of birth control. They believe a lack of virtue is at fault.

What about other peoples' Gods, they too, believe their Gods' ways are the only right ways. It seems to me that maybe these different Gods are using his/her/its followers to wage wars against each other. Maybe it is their way of keeping check on overpopulation along with natural disasters, famine, plagues etc. After all, according to some, their god knows all that has happened and all that will happen and he is never changing, more befuddling aspects.

Why did these Gods populate this planet with humans to begin with if they already know the outcome? This seems illogical if these believers think their Gods are taking care of them, seeing to their needs and providing for their welfare. Then, maybe their Gods are not working together for the wellbeing of the population as a whole. I think they should have a board meeting to iron out some of their differences. Maybe what they know is going to happen is not going to happen the way they know it is going to happen. Right, it confuses me too.

What's the solution?

We need to stop breeding like rabbits!

We need to set aside some of our concepts of what constitutes a suitable program of birth control. The sooner we begin the better we will fair.

We know we cannot depend on those few blind faith followers who believe in illogical concepts that will surely if left unchecked, bring about an overpopulated world. That leaves only us heathen, backsliding nonbelievers to set guidelines to curb this eventual problem. Sometime in the not so distance future, there will come a time when Mother Earth can no longer feed all her children; just as it is now in some places. Left unchecked, it will spread like a wild fire.

At this time, we have only this world to exist. Maybe later someone's god will bring another world into our vision. I know some anxiously await the apocalypse. However, others of us are not so anxious and would rather live out our time here on Earth.

Maybe we can ship all those hard shell believers somewhere they can practice their beliefs without causing harm to others, and let their God provide for them. I think this has happened in the past and we are the result.

We are all in this together no matter what our beliefs. Some need to practice what they preach, stop being so greedy and share. I don't mean give what is yours to someone else. I mean let us live our beliefs too.

Maybe someday we will pilgrimage to another world to begin anew. No matter where that is, I'm sure we will be face problems, new ones and old ones There will always be differences in groups, large or small. It's human nature. It would make for a bland existence if everyone thought and acted alike. Ask any science fiction writer.

Have a pleasant day.