Global Warming and
Malthusianism 
Wednesday, November 28th, 2007
Photo from National
Geographic:
Pictures of a Warming
World, 2004 |
Malthusianism: Malthus'
(Thomas Robert 1766-1834) theory that population tends to
increase faster than food supply.
|
"Populations tend to increase at a geometrical rate, whereas
the means of subsistence increases at just an arithmetical rate.
Without the checks of disease, famine, and war, human populations will
double their size every 25 years." (Malthusianism)
The
world's population reached 1 billion for the first time in 1830.
It took 120 years to double to 2 billion, and just 30 years to reach 3
billion. The world's population is now over 6 billion
people.
Our increased means of subsistence is due to technology
and a climate favorable for agriculture. Modern medicine,
industrialized farming, and use of fossil fuel have reduced disease and
famine. Furthermore, we've enjoyed an exceptionally mild climate
period called the Holocene.
Most of the 80 million extra each
year are born into developing countries least able to support the added
population. The demographic divide between the rich developed
countries and the poor developing countries is reflected in vast
disparities of living standards, health, and economic
prospects.
The Earth is warming up due to mankind's greenhouse
gas emissions and the degredation of ecosystems. With business as
usual, it is predicted that emissions will increase over 50% while
ecosystems' ability to remove it from the air will decrease 30% by
2030.
In other words, it is predictable that our means of
subsistence will decline due to global warming. This threatens not
just those alive today, but future generations, too. Rich
countries will be able to adapt, but poor countries won't be able to
support their population.
 We
should facilitate, instead of foolishly and vainly endeavoring to
impeded, the operation of nature in producing mortality; and if we dread
the too-frequent visitation of the horrid form of famine, we should
sedulously encourage other forms of destruction which we compel nature
to use. Instead of recommending cleanliness to the poor, we should
encourage contrary habits. In our towns we should make the streets
narrower, crowding more people into the houses, and court the return of
the plague. In the country we should build our villages near
stagnant pools, and particularly encourage settlements in all marsy and
unwholesome situations." (Malthus, founder of
Malthusianism)
Most leaders understand that as we continue
business as usual emissions, we are killing billions of people by
reducing their means of subsistence. Yet, the US (responsible for
about 30% of mankind's greenhouse gas emissions) chooses to fight
against mandatory emission cuts.
It is as if the Bush
administration is practicing Malthusianism. On the other hand
(since you shouldn't attribute to maliciousness what you can attribute
to stupidity), it could be that the Bush administration doesn't realize
business as usual emissions will kill billions, mostly in poor
countries.
The US is implicitly waging a war on poor countries by
obstructing mandatory emission cuts.
It's your world and your news...submit an article
today! All of our articles are indexed in Google
News and by all of the major search engines, and we can
link your Author Name (or screenname) to a
MySpace page or website of your choice, which will earn you
traffic and viewers.
And if we feature your
blogs regularly, you'll be added to our upcoming "Blogroll" which
will give you a permanent link from our site.
|
More News
>> |
RSS Feed
