[Marxism] Worst Environmental Problem? Overpopulation, Experts Say

[Barry Brooks <durable@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Here's another odd call to "replace" fossil fuels, yet if we conserve 
and stop "overconsumption" we will only need to provide a small 
percentage of what we waste (need?) today.

Replacement should be reserved for things we wish to have, and there is 
no reason to replace one kind of too much with another kind of too much, 
clean or not.

Later, replacing fossil fuels may be possible, but later is going to be 
too late... forget the cost. How much does it cost to not do something.

Barry


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418075752.htm

Worst Environmental Problem? Overpopulation, Experts Say

ScienceDaily (Apr. 20, 2009) — Overpopulation is the world’s top 
environmental issue, followed closely by climate change and the need to 
develop renewable energy resources to replace fossil fuels, according to 
a survey of the faculty at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and 
Forestry (ESF).

Just in time for Earth Day (April 22) the faculty at the college, at 
which environmental issues are the sole focus, was asked to help 
prioritize the planet’s most pressing environmental problems.

Overpopulation came out on top, with several professors pointing out its 
ties to other problems that rank high on the list.

“Overpopulation is the only problem,” said Dr. Charles A. Hall, a 
systems ecologist. “If we had 100 million people on Earth — or better, 
10 million — no others would be a problem.” (Current estimates put the 
planet’s population at more than six billion.)

Dr. Allan P. Drew, a forest ecologist, put it this way: “Overpopulation 
means that we are putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than 
we should, just because more people are doing it and this is related to 
overconsumption by people in general, especially in the ‘developed’ world.”

“But, whether developed or developing,” said Dr. Susan Senecah, who 
teaches the history of the American environmental movement, “everyone is 
encouraged to ‘want’ and perceive that they ‘need’ to consume beyond the 
planet’s ability to provide.”

The ESF faculty pointed to climate change as the second most-pressing 
issue, with the need to develop renewable energy resources to replace 
fossil fuels coming in third.

“Experimenting with the earth’s climate and chemistry has great risks,” 
said Dr. Thomas E. Amidon, who invented a process for removing 
energy-rich sugars from wood and fermenting those sugars into ethanol. 
“This is a driver in climate change and loss of biodiversity and is a 
fundamental problem underlying our need to strive for sustainability.”

Rounding out the top 10 issues on the ESF list are overconsumption, the 
need for more sustainable practices worldwide, the growing need for 
energy conservation, the need for humans to see themselves as part of 
the global ecosystem, overall carbon dioxide emissions, the need to 
develop ways to produce consumer products from renewable resources, and 
dwindling fresh water resources.

Best wishes,

Bill

---
William N. Ryerson
President
Population Media Center

145 Pine Haven Shores Road, Suite 2011
P.O. Box 547
Shelburne, Vermont 05482
U.S.A.
Tel. 1-802-985-8156 Extension 204

Mobile: 1-802-578-4286
Fax 1-802-985-8119
Email: ryerson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:ryerson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Web site: www.populationmedia.org <http://www.populationmedia.org/>




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