Part 31: The 7th billion human on Earth—Democracy and freedom

By Frosty Wooldridge

Part 31: Democracy and freedom

In October of 2011, the 7th billion human being will land on this planet.  From that threshold, humans will continue multiplying by 1.0 billion every 13 years to reach more than 10 billion within 39 years at the mid century.  The ramifications stagger the mind of any thinking American.  This series will give you an idea of what our civilization faces. 

This series brings you, a concerned American, more information on what this civilization faces and what we can do to change course toward a viable and positive future for our children and all living creatures.

“It is with many enterprises as with striking fire; we do not meet with success except by reiterated efforts, and often at the instant when we despaired of success.” Francoise de Maintenon

Peak Everything: Waking Up to a Century of Declines By Richard Heinberg, New Society Publishers,   ISBN-10: 086571598X ,   ISBN-13: 978-0865715981, www.postcarbon.org; www.richardheinberg.com

“Toward the end of his lecture, Dr. Al Bartlett quoted Isaac Asimov from a Bill Moyers interview,” said Heinberg. “What happens to the idea of the dignity of the human species if this population growth continues at its present rate?”

Asimov said, “It will be completely destroyed.  I like to use what I call my bathroom metaphor: if  two people live in an apartment and there are two bathrooms, then both have freedom of the bathroom. You can go to the bathroom anytime you want to stay as long as you want for whatever you need. And everyone believes in freedom of the bathroom; it should be right there in the Constitution.  But if you have twenty people in the apartment and two bathrooms, no matter how much every person believes in the freedom of the bathroom, there is no such thing. You have to set up times for each person, and you have to bang on the door, “Aren’t you through yet?”.  In the same way, democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human dignity cannot survive overpopulation.  As you put more and more people onto the world, the value of  life not only declines, it disappears.  It doesn’t matter if someone dies, the more people there are, the less one person matters.”

In my own world travels, as I pedaled through Asia, specifically, China, India and other overpopulated countries, I discovered my own unease at being packed like a sardine within an endless stream of people.  Yes, the Chinese seem used to it, but they do not enjoy choices. 

At this point in history, before we add another 100 million people the U.S., we DO enjoy choices, and hopefully, we make them.  America may choose to avoid adding 100 million more people within 25 years. It’s a matter of choice!

“All of this is dreary and distressing, and that’s why most people prefer simply to avoid the topic,” said Heinberg. “Even the most agreeable items, i.e., abstention, abortion, contraception, small families—are controversial, especially if proposed as anything other than individual, voluntary options.  Controlling immigration, which is essential to enabling any nation to control domestic population growth, is enormously controversial, as immigrants already often face discrimination in many forms. In each case, one or another group would object that human rights are being sacrificed.  Yet nature does not negotiate: the Earth is a bounded sphere, and human population growth and consumption growth WILL BE reined in…so it appears we must give up at least some human rights if we are to avoid nature’s solutions—which consist of famine and disease as well as the instinctive human  response to fight over scarce resources.”

As to Heinberg’s comment on immigrants, I add that those immigrants arrive from countries, and they themselves—r efused to practice birth control, thus, they overloaded their countries from which they fled, only to create the same dilemma in the host country.  And, paradoxically, the third world adds 77 to 80 million annually, so the line never ends.

Yet, like the immigrants from the third world, most Americans, entrenched in their 20^th century paradigms, cannot for the life of themselves, step up to reality.  They think population can continue unabated on a finite globe. They curse anyone for thinking about human population stability.

Recently, I received an e-mail from a reader that said, “Your latest rant shows your ignorance.  It is up to God to decide how many people can live on this earth, not you, not Dr. Alpert.  I hope the population explodes, I hope billions are born in the next few years.  God is the great judge, and life is brought about by the breath (image of god) into the clay container.  That has never been something you can judge.  It’s not up to any man to control the womb and what comes from the womb, nor the taking of life, or control of the tomb and what must go to the tomb.” 

To that Heinberg said, “If we want peace, democracy and human rights, we must work to create ecological conditions essential for these things to exist: i.e., a stable human population at—or less than—the environment’s long-term carrying capacity.”

WE FACE A TIME LIMIT FOR OUR PROACTIVE ACTIONS

“The longer we wait, the fewer our options,” said Heinberg. “Social liberals and progressives who fail to talk about population and resource issues and to propose workable solutions are merely helping to create their own worst nightmare.”

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In a five minute astoundingly simple yet brilliant video, “Immigration, Poverty, and Gum Balls”, Roy Beck, director of www.numbersusa.ORG, graphically illustrates the impact of overpopulation.  Take five minutes to see for yourself:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjzfGChGlE&feature=player_embedded

“Immigration by the numbers—off the chart” by Roy Beck

This 10 minute demonstration shows Americans the results of unending mass immigration on the quality of life and sustainability for future generations: in a word “Mind boggling!”  www.NumbersUSA.org

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muw22wTePqQ

This is the best website to start:  www.numbersusa.org ; watch Roy Beck’s “Immigration by the Numbers” at 14 minutes. Bi-partisan and very effective. Become a faxer of pre-written letters to your reps to make positive  change.

Visit www.TheSocialContract.com for the best information on what we face as a civilization as to overpopulation, energy, immigration and much more.

Canada www.immigrationwatchcanada.org ; in Australia www.population.org.au and[email protected]; in Great Britain www.populationmatters.org ; and dozens of other sites accessed at www.frostywooldridge.com.   In Florida, www.flimen.org .

Must see DVD: “Blind Spot” www.snagfilms.com/films/title/blind_spot/ , This movie illustrates America’s future without oil, water and other resources to keep this civilization functioning. It’s a brilliant educational movie! www.blindspotdoc.com

Must see: Rapid Population Decline, seven minute video by Dr. Jack Alpert-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTWduFB_RX0

Must see and funny: www.growthbusters.org ; www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXSTrW_dARc
Dave Gardner’s Polar Bear in Bedroom:

growthbusters.org/2010/03/save-the-polar-bear-in-your-bedroom ; Dave Gardner, President, Citizen-Powered Media ; Producing the Documentary, GROWTH BUSTERS; presents Hooked on Growth: Our Misguided Quest for Prosperity, Join the cause at www.growthbusters.org ;760 Wycliffe Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 USA; +1 719-576-5565

Check out this link with Wooldridge on bicycle and Lester Brown and panel discussion:

www.upnorthmedia.org/watchupnorthtv.asp?SDBFid=1631

Tomorrow’s Americaproject on www.youtube.com/contemporarylearning.

Producer: GEORGE A. COLBURNwww.tomorrowsamerica.com

DC: 202-258-4887

Email: [email protected]

Link to www.tomorrowsamerica.com for more discussions on America’s predicament.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.starbrightmediacorp.com

www.tomorrowsamerica.com

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Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents – from the Arctic to the South Pole – as well as six times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. He presents “The Coming Population Crisis in America: and what you can do about it” to civic clubs, church groups, high schools and colleges. He works to bring about sensible world population balance at www.frostywooldridge.com He is the author of: America on the Brink: The Next Added 100 Million Americans. Copies available: 1 888 280 7715