Population Increase: The Elephant in the Cabin

An Indian government minister has said that the question of population growth, 14 million a year in India’s case, should be left out of climate talks. See Guardian 28/8/09 http://bit.ly/4vaTjj
Why? Various reasons can be given, not least that the carbon emissions per capita are low compared with our American friends. But the trouble is that the question is being left out of much of the environmental discussion for some reason, although we all know, or should it be, because we know, with some dread, that the problem is getting worse.
A few weeks ago I threw out a book entitled ‘The Population Explosion’ which I had bought in about 1964. It was a very depressing read and showed how Malthus, who predicted the problems of population growth, had underestimated the rate at which it was taking place. I do not remember the authors name and of course I now regret getting rid of the book. I think it went to Oxfam, but whatever the dire warnings, we are all now living through the various consequences.

Great efforts are being made to produce food for the increasing world population but these efforts are at the same time threatening the sustainability of spaceship Earth. Any form of transport with too many people on board will usually come to grief, so while we are all trying to reduce our carbon emissions we are failing to slow the world’s population growth. Peoples aspirations also grow, and with them, the demands for the products of both factory and farm.

When populations in any form of life get too big nature usually finds a way of solving the problem. Starvation and disease are the most common and the human race is not going to be any different. Add to that the major shifts in population which will occur as food producing areas shrink, then Earth’s population could be crowded into the northern and southern hemispheres which we already know have finite food production potential. We are already seeing the results of rainfall and monsoon changes and how this effects populations in the Indian sub-continent and Africa. Limitation of population growth through birth control seems a more humane alternative to disease and starvation. To think that population growth can be matched by increased food production is a cruel allusion.

Given such depressing facts it is not surprising that environmental campaigners would rather not think about population growth. But, all the time we don’t talk about it the elephant in the room, or should I say, cabin, is getting bigger. There are some who will say that there is little enough encouragement to keep on campaigning and if it is that bad we might as well give up. My answer is that there is still a chance there is just enough time to get the passenger list stabilised, the catering department in order, and the cabin atmosphere of sufficient quality for the duration of the flight. Neither the crew nor the passengers know how long the journey will take. There is no bail out option, nor should there be. Why? Well, because it is surely better to spend the money on getting this spaceship in good order rather than tripping off to foul up a few more.

Dacier