CNN just reported on the 22nd of December that the US population reached 308 million, the slowest growth since the Great Depression. Most of this growth came from legal and illegal immigrants. The U.S. is still the only western nation with that has not reached replacement fertilization only (meaning births and deaths are equal). This is due to teen pregancies (national embarrassment) and the high birthrates of illegal immigrants. But, this news means two things, that people are actually determining the environment around them before having children, and also the legal citizens are at replacement birth rate.
More importantly, National Geographic issue for November cover was on the Earth’s population reaching 7 billion soon. It was an excellent article bases solely on scientific analysis. The article brought to light, the efforts of India and China to bring their populations to zero population growth. The better news, except for Africa, most nations in the world are striving to balance their populations. It is going to be hard for a a couple of decades because there are so many women entering child bearing ages. But, what is important, as I have cried, the threat of overpopulation is being recognized. Again, the U.S. is behind in openly recognizing the number one crisis facing our earth.
While 71 percent of citizens polled by CNN believe the country is already too crowded, the corporate controlled media allows the subject very little press. It is because of two factors, one religious and the other corporate greed. Most religions misinterpret the bible and do not match rhetoric with reality in regards to preserving life, but don’t worry about where the resources are coming from to support new mouths to feed and waste to take care of. While corporate America does not want the resevoir of new consumers to ever dry up, even while resources do.
Still, I am hopeful given that other nations are trying to deal with the problem. First, they have admitted to the problem, and now they are finding solutions. That is the only way we are going to bring people out of dreadful poverty, once we balance our population with zero growth, then nations are not constantly trying to play catch up, as the U.S. is currently doing. Just look at the joke about trying to create new jobs, a constant race with growing population.
Don Vandergriff 