Giuseppe
Emeritus
Source: The Guardian (extract), http://feeds.guardian.co.uk/~r/theguardian/rss/~3/BbyUR_PIUNY/story01.htm
Humans ? the real threat to life on Earth
30 June 2013 | Stephen Emmott
If population levels continue to rise at the current rate, our grandchildren will see the Earth plunged into an unprecedented environmental crisis, argues computational scientist Stephen Emmott in this extract from his book Ten Billion
Earth is home to millions of species. Just one dominates it. Us. Our cleverness, our inventiveness and our activities have modified almost every part of our planet. In fact, we are having a profound impact on it. Indeed, our cleverness, our inventiveness and our activities are now the drivers of every global problem we face. And every one of these problems is accelerating as we continue to grow towards a global population of 10 billion. In fact, I believe we can rightly call the situation we're in right now an emergency ? an unprecedented planetary emergency.
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[I would like to agree to the 'A view from Armageddon' depicted in the full above mentioned article. But there are some things that are not totally agreeable in it. So, this is my opinion. I do not think that rise in human reproduction rate on Earth is unavoidable. And some simple measures could reduce the population increase, Step-by-Step, without great projects or massive Investments. For example: an universal access to education from all gender children. People literacy is key to build self consciousness and to devise solutions to every day problems. Equality between men and women is essential to build confidence in sexual relationship and make simplest the access to contraception and wide use of condoms and other pregnancy prophylaxys devices. People should have universal access to health care services: if you are living in a place where of ten of your children, five will die before 5 year old, it is clear that you will be pregnant more frequently. Instead, if your children are healthy and have access to free school and care, you will not need a huge breed to sustain the family future needs. If the labor protection system is adopted there will be less need for large families, since the wages will be enough to cover monthly needs (food, care, fun). Even though in the world there are a lot of different ethnicities and cultures, the daily safety (health, school, food, safe labor place) is an universal achievement for every population. Instead to cut spending in health care protection, child care, literacy and welfare - as suggested and pursued by international monteray and financial bodies - we should advise for the contrary. It could be one of the last resource on our hands to slow the population growth and for safeguard the biodiversity on planet earth. No need for A Vision from the Armageddon, indeed. GM]
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Humans ? the real threat to life on Earth
30 June 2013 | Stephen Emmott
If population levels continue to rise at the current rate, our grandchildren will see the Earth plunged into an unprecedented environmental crisis, argues computational scientist Stephen Emmott in this extract from his book Ten Billion
Earth is home to millions of species. Just one dominates it. Us. Our cleverness, our inventiveness and our activities have modified almost every part of our planet. In fact, we are having a profound impact on it. Indeed, our cleverness, our inventiveness and our activities are now the drivers of every global problem we face. And every one of these problems is accelerating as we continue to grow towards a global population of 10 billion. In fact, I believe we can rightly call the situation we're in right now an emergency ? an unprecedented planetary emergency.
(...)
__________
[I would like to agree to the 'A view from Armageddon' depicted in the full above mentioned article. But there are some things that are not totally agreeable in it. So, this is my opinion. I do not think that rise in human reproduction rate on Earth is unavoidable. And some simple measures could reduce the population increase, Step-by-Step, without great projects or massive Investments. For example: an universal access to education from all gender children. People literacy is key to build self consciousness and to devise solutions to every day problems. Equality between men and women is essential to build confidence in sexual relationship and make simplest the access to contraception and wide use of condoms and other pregnancy prophylaxys devices. People should have universal access to health care services: if you are living in a place where of ten of your children, five will die before 5 year old, it is clear that you will be pregnant more frequently. Instead, if your children are healthy and have access to free school and care, you will not need a huge breed to sustain the family future needs. If the labor protection system is adopted there will be less need for large families, since the wages will be enough to cover monthly needs (food, care, fun). Even though in the world there are a lot of different ethnicities and cultures, the daily safety (health, school, food, safe labor place) is an universal achievement for every population. Instead to cut spending in health care protection, child care, literacy and welfare - as suggested and pursued by international monteray and financial bodies - we should advise for the contrary. It could be one of the last resource on our hands to slow the population growth and for safeguard the biodiversity on planet earth. No need for A Vision from the Armageddon, indeed. GM]
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