Part 1: Raging controversy

At long last, the Economist Magazine offered a debate on its website that garnered thousands of responses.  John Seager, president of Population Connection (formerly ZPG), promotes population stabilization and long term decline.  He proposes that Americans live within the carrying capacity of the land. Opposing him, MICHAEL LIND, Policy Director, Economic Growth/Next Social Contract Program, New America Foundation, promotes population expansion. Lind encourages unlimited expansion of human population.

Link: http://www.economist.com/debate/overview/151?source=most_commented

Readers from around the world weighed in with their ideas on what our civilization faces:

Emilio V. said, “Population growth is at the heart of most of the major problems we face regarding our continuance as a species. Our insistence on economic models of growth and population expansion will continue to hasten the magnitude of the problems of resource scarcity, carrying capacity, environmental degradation, and the effects of these problems on politics and government control of populations. Alleviating the pressures caused by overpopulation would result in benefits to the majority of the world's people, probably not at first as the older generations will demographically outweigh younger ones, but if growth can be managed (a big IF) benefits would be had for all in the long run. This is the elephant in the room.”

William H. said, “Your article in opednews today is right on point. Thanks for writing. Inasmuch as it speaks the truth, it brings to mind a few historic comments about the truth, namely Shopenhauer's three stages and Churchill's pithy comments. My view, coming from a medical, and by that biologic and evolutionary, background, is that, while people like you articulate the looming tragedy and misery that will surely ensue, the human race, bound to obey its DNA, will without a pause, reproduces itself into a pollution and starvation-driven near-extinction.  The charitable and "good" among us will only exacerbate that course by struggling with the endpoints (starvation, pollution and disease) while remaining emotionally incapable of focusing on the root cause, overpopulation.  Thank you for your effort. I will keep your website in mind in the event that some venue among my colleagues or other local organizations might present an opportunity to have you present your information.  I hope I am wrong, but everything I see from behavior and history says that I am not.”

Onechild wrote, “I am an only child and the father of an only child. I want the best for by daughter and al life on earth. Every added child compromises the quality of life, and perhaps even the opportunity for existence for all species. We will be running out of essential resources just as our population peaks. Nine billion people struggling to "live off of the land", will leave little in their wake. The ONLY solution is to humanely reduce our population down to the 1.5 to two billion that can truly be sustained. The longer we let the population overshoot go on, the faster and farther all life will crash.”

Albert K. said, “Wow, if there were ever a topic that needs wider discussion, it's that of population growth. Do world leaders and local leaders avoid talking about this issue because it's not important? No, they refuse to discuss it because it is can become personal - it's about peoples' personal choices and how they add up. So, what we need to do is include this in every discussion about climate change. And every discussion about pollution. And every discussion about the price of commodities, hunger, species loss, etc. The issue of the world's population is so under-represented, it's slightly crazy. We all need to hear thoughts on this issue - and not just on some obscure on-line forum, but right on the front page of your magazine. Please don't bury this story, help get it out there.”

Ms. S. wrote, “By battening off the world's resources, and congratulating and justifying ourselves with religious texts we composed ourselves, we rapacious apes have obscenely bloated our numbers. Now we're hitting the resources wall. I can't help but think that famine, war, and plague will decimate our populations before the century has ended. I just feel sorry for the other animals and for the wild flowers we have taken, and will take, down with us.”

Arm R. said, “IgnorantAmerican wrote "If we can come up with a plausible way to colonize space, overpopulation will become a thing of the past." IF we had the energy available, and invented technologies that at this point are deemed impossible (or at least very difficult), and if Star Trek was real, then we might be able to do that. I'm not willing to gamble the future of my children on some cultist technological fantasy, though.”

Common S. wrote, “It is normal that every Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, African etc wishes to eventually get the same level of comfort as is available in the richest countries of the world.  But the earth resources are not sufficient for  nine billion people, or seven billion living in such a way, even we come up with clever solutions like renewable energy and eco-design, for part of our consumption.  Since we cannot go backwards, the only way is to go forwards in our control of nature by learning to control the ultimate thing, the number of humans on earth, before nature fights back, and either starves us through food depletion connected to climate change or reduces our numbers through one or more HxNx virus, like any ordinary animal species.”

You might join this debate by your letters to the editor in your local newspapers.  You may spur NPR to investigate.  You might encourage your local PBS station to run a series.  You might email your local radio talk show to invite population/environmental guests onto their shows.

Today, the United States grows as the third fastest country in the world on its way to adding 100 million people via immigration by 2035 and 138 million by 2050.  Our civilization lacks the water, energy and resources to maintain our current standard of living.  Such a huge population growth guarantees loss of standard of living, quality of life, degraded environment, massive species extinction rates, water scarcity, energy crises and a Pandora’s Box of multiple consequences.

You may ask the question: “Do I want my children living in this country with another added 100 million people.”

I suggest the answer is a loud and definite, “NO!”

##

 To take action:  First and foremost, join www.numbersusa.com and become one of nearly a million Americans making impact with pre-written faxes and phone calls to change immigration policies toward a stable future. Bi-partisan and highly effective!

Second, join www.thesocialcontract.com for up to date information via the Social Contract Quarterly. Exceptional publication to keep you informed.

www.fairus.org ; www.vdare.com ; www.alipac.us ; www.firecoalition.com ; www.cairco.org ; www.limitstogrowth.com ; www.capsweb.org ;  www.populationmedia.org ; www.worldpopulationbalance.org ; LimitsToGrowth.org

America on the Brink: The Next Added 100 Million Americans by Frosty Wooldridge. This book covers all the ramifications of adding 100 million people to the USA in the next 26 years by 2035. 

Visit this site for a rendition of Colorado Governor Lamm’s speech: “How to Destroy America”

http://usawakeup.org/HowToDestroyAmerica.htm

Must see DVD:  “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!

In Canada: Tim Murray,

Director Immigration Watch Canada www.immigrationwatch.org

Vice President Biodiversity First http://biodiversityfirst.googlepages.com/index.htm

Blog http://sinkinglifeboat.blogspot.com  

Watch the DVD movie: “Blind Spot”—Exceptional movie with top scientists candidly discussion what we face as a civilization if we continue on our hyper-population growth path. www.blindspotdoc.com

Please visit Annie Leonard at www.storyofstuff.com for a compelling and highly interesting 20 minute video concerning our high consumption, highly wasteful and unsustainable society.  She educates and provides avenues for you to make a difference.

Visit this web site by Chris Martenson: http://www.chrismartenson.com/environmental_data 

In Colorado: visit www.soprisfoundation.org for information how you can network with like-minded folks to create a more sustainable future for Colorado and other states. 

View CNN’s “Planet in Peril” with Anderson Cooper and Lisa Ling:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/planet.in.peril/

Ghost of Thomas Paine—compelling video of common sense

http://www.lawatchdog.com/index.html#anchor_2296

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA:  D.C.:  (202)224-2854 comment@whitehouse.gov

Books to read:  “The Long Emergency” by James Howard Kunstler

                         “Peak Everything” by Richard Heinberg

                         “Too Many People” by Lindsey Grant

Become a member of “Frosty’s Press Agent Corps” whereby you volunteer a few hours to send out emails to top TV and radio hosts to offer top speakers on America’s overpopulation crisis driven by unending immigration.  Email frostyw@juno.com and receive two informational letters showing you exactly what to do.

Roy Beck's "IMMIGRATION BY THE NUMBERS" is the single best educational appreciation of America's future if we allow ourselves to add another 100 million people. Just click on this site for the most sobering experience of your children's future.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4094926727128068265&q=roy+beck&hl=en

Roy Beck gives a graphic presentation of our fate if we continue to allow legal and illegal immigration to swamp this country. If you have children, you will be particular unnerved at their fate. I know Roy Beck personally and his integrity and knowledge stand at the top. Pass this web site 14 minute video far and wide across America to educate everyone you know. We either stop this human tsunami or the future of this country will be much like Rome's. We must, as a nation and a civilization, move to secure our country from this massive, unrelenting population overload from a line that never ends. This will be the most compelling 14 minute video of your life.

Once you see it, go to my web site for action items www.frostywooldridge.com and join www.numbersusa.com to become a weekly faxer of pre written letters and join the phone calling teams.

 Bob Woodruff of ABC asked input from all citizens concerning the future of our planet.  Go to www.earth2100.tv for a sobering reality check as to what we face and to what I have been writing about for the past 20 years.  Our ‘window’ to change to a balanced population and non-polluting energy diminishes every day we listen to irresponsible media and thus ignore the blatant symptoms manifesting all over America and the planet.

From: Frosty Wooldridge 

This three minute interview with Adam Schrager on “Your Show” May 4, 2008, NBC Channel 9 News, addresses the ramifications of adding 120 million people to USA in 35 years and six million people to Colorado as to water shortages, air pollution, loss of farmland, energy costs and degradation of quality of life.  In the interview, Frosty Wooldridge explains the ramifications of adding 120 million people to the USA in 35 years. He advances new concepts such as a “Colorado Carrying Capacity Policy”; “Colorado Environmental Impact Policy”; “Colorado Water Usage Policy”; “Colorado Sustainable Population Policy”.  Nationally, the USA needs a "National Sustainable Population Policy" to determine the carrying capacity of this nation for the short and long term.  Wooldridge is available for interviews on radio and TV having interviewed on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and FOX.

Go to:  www.frostywooldridge.com  and click on “Audio/Video” tab

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