Book review—Scarcity: Humanity’s Final Chapter? by Chris O. Clugston

 

Part 3: We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestor; we borrow it from our children.

 

When you stick your knowledge out into the public sector, you discover all sorts of characters streaming out of the woodwork.  Millions live in denial of reality.  Leaders avoid planning for the future.  Millions more lack any understanding of the predicaments humanity faces in the 21st century.

 

Radio talk show host Darren Weeks of “Coalition to Govern America” said, “We are not overpopulated. Quit spreading this nonsense! You're helping the UN promote its agenda.”

 

Geno said, “The world can sustain more people. There’s enough land and water to do what needs to be done. Humanity expanded to other continents here on earth and the next step is looking to the immediate solar system, say Mars for example, to expand the species there as well.  Instead of the money the governments spend on warfare, we could easily accomplish this task in my lifetime.”

 

One reader responded, “We’re not overpopulating the planet. That’s a lie right from Satan who wants to kill and destroy. The population of developed countries would be declining except for immigration from third world countries.”

 

With his book, Scarcity: Humanity’s Final Chapter? by Christopher O. Clugston, we meet face to face with facts, irrefutable science and a sobering reality check.

 

Fact: the more our human population grows, the faster we use up non-renewable resources upon which our existence depends.

 

“In viewing the world from our entrenched anthropocentric (human-centered) perspective, there is always hope for a brighter future, because the implicit assumption underlying our anthropocentric perspective is that there will always be enough NNRs to enable a brighter future,” said Clugston. “And that humankind need only be concerned with using these NNRs to provide ever –improving material living standards for ever-increasing numbers of our ever-expanding global population.”

 

However, in viewing the world from a scientifically ecologically based perspective, “There is no hope for a brighter future, because the fundamental assumption underlying our limited human-centered perspective is wrong,” said Clugston.

 

As you read into the book, Clugston features facts, figures and graphs that will not allow you to daydream.  He said, “This distorted cornucopian worldview, which is being adopted increasingly by other industrializing nations is the logical outgrowth of a misinformed historical perspective and an inaccurate understanding of Nature’s role in human existence.”

 

One look at India or China should run a chill down your spine. They crush Mother Nature at all costs in their bid to become “like” the United States.  They already feature horrific air pollution and acidified soils as they place an added coal-fired electrical plant on line every week of the year.  Their rivers run like open sewers and their traffic jams exceed 60 miles in length.  They add 16 million new cars annually.  Additionally, they add eight million more people annually via population momentum.  Essentially, they degrade their future beyond repair.

 

With sobering methodology, Clugston shows where country after country peaked as to production of its heavy metals, minerals and petroleum resources.  A place like the United Kingdom, a modern-day Easter Island, ran out of many metals in the late 1800s.  They import everything. The same holds true for Japan.  The State of Hawaii could not exist for a single week without non-renewable resources (NNRs) pumped into its cities daily.

 

In 2013, such countries as Canada, China, India, America, Europe and Australia besiege Africa and South America for resources.  None of those countries could exist without the oil from the Middle East and South America. But no one will give it a second thought as to what they will do when oil “peaks” in those other countries.  Let this be clear: oil will peak and ultimately vanish as a source of energy.

 

But what won’t vanish will be the enormous populations of the aforementioned countries.  What won’t vanish will be the immense need to feed incredible human populations.

 

Nonetheless, those civilizations’ demand for tin, copper, steel, zinc and four dozen other “peaking” metals accelerates instead of declining.

Clugston asks, “What can we do?”

 

“Nothing meaningful,” he said. “We will continue to behave as we have during the past several centuries until Nature intervenes; we are culturally incapable of behaving differently.  And since our “best case” scenario going forward differs only marginally from our “worst case” scenario. There is no compelling reason to modify our unsustainable economic and ecological behavior at this point.  We have obviated ourselves in the process of our advancement.”

 

Myth: Somebody will think of something; they always have and they always will.

 

Reality: The limiting factor is not insufficient human ingenuity; it is insufficient NNRs.

 

Myth: We will overcome all obstacles….

 

Reality: All industrialized nations are unsustainable and will collapse in

the not-to-distant-future as NNRs deplete.

 

Clugston covers a dozen other myths and refutes them with scientific evidence.

 

“Unfortunately, America’s predicament cannot be “fixed” at all, because we will never have access to enough NNRs, whether imported or domestic sources, to enable us to deliver on the impossible promises made by our ancestors when times were so good for Americans, temporarily.”

 

“We have allowed ourselves to become distracted by irrelevant arguments,” he said. “We argue over tinkering with the pump, when our real problem is that our well is running dry. Most regrettably, while the probability that we can avert or mitigate the catastrophic consequences associated with our predicament through an intelligent response is certainly very small, the probability that we will experience imminent global societal collapse in the event that we remain ignorant or in denial and fail to respond intelligently is 100 percent.”

 

If you bring up children, this book will compel you to take action. If you care about your civilization, this book will captivate you. If you care about the future, this book will guide you.  What amazes me most: we could change course, but we probably won’t.

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Scarcity: Humanity Final Chapter

Author: Christopher O. Clugston

Foreword by William R. Catton, Jr.

Publisher: www.Booklocker.com  , Port Charlotte, Florida

ISBN#: 978-1-62141-250-2

Price: $19.95

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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 few words, “Mind boggling!”  www.NumbersUSA.org

 

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 andPublicPopForum@yahoogroups.com; 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-

 

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

Trailer to his latest movie on overpopulation:  http://youtu.be/KLWxWOcUrVc

 

 

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

 

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

DC: 202-258-4887

 

Email: gac@starbrightmc.com

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

Alexandra Paul talks about human overpopulation and saving our world by all women having 1 child only:

One planet, one child:

 

This film will rock you:   MOTHER: CARING FOR 7 BILLION  

 

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Live well, laugh often, celebrate daily and enjoy the ride,

Frosty Wooldridge

Golden, Colorado

6 Continent world bicycle traveler

 

   

 

Order these unique cards today: http://www.howtolivealifeofadventure.com/