----- Original Message -----
From: brad bartholomew <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2002 6:12 PM
Subject: Re: Global Warming Anyone?


> Quoted from the link Lisa sent - "Scientists stopped
> short of blaming the collapse on global warming caused
> by human activity."
>
> >From an ethical point of view this is reprehnsible.
> ALL scientists should by now be screaming for
> population reduction.
>

Brad, this may be part of the solution but it is not a universal, nor
comprehensive solution to prevent lasting ecological harm. The belief that
the carrying capacity of the earth is being exceeded for humans is probably
true in some situations. For instance in Africa where there are frequent
cases of droughts and mass starvation. The same has happened in the Asian
subcontinent, and there are local or regional food shortages elsewhere
(depending on whether there are marginalized groups living there, eg Haiti
in the Western Hemisphere). Malnutrition is a factor in the growth and
development of children living below the poverty level in many US cities, as
it is elsewhere in the developed world.

However, I think that using one mechanism for controlling population growth
is not the best policy. I think 'family planning' and 'education' would be
more facilitative in the long run than an exclusive reliance on abortion
clinics. There are some who feel that abortions are wrong, and thus would be
likely to not use abortion clinics. Abortion should not be used as a means
of 'birth control' because it is actually a bit unsafe as a medical
procedure depending on where and who is treated. Up to 1% of women suffer
some complications which potentially could compromise their health. Secondly
it is only in those countries with adequate social funds that provide for
safe and free abortion clinics which would be of assistence to the majority
of women who chose to have an abortion. Therefore in many countries with
high birth rates there are a lack of adequate clinics...so the reality is
that education would be preferred so that partners did no risk an unwanted
pregnancy.

It is important to realize that many Catholic countries do not provide 'free
abortion clinics' and many of these countries are situated in the Americas
where the birth rate is coming down because of increased rates of education
and employment rates. I think the solution has to include education and
health services which are affordable for the poorest and the best qualified.

In addition to clinics there would need to be;

1.    basic public services such as primary and secondary education;

2.    access to basic health services;

3.    access to inexpensive loans to develop economic opportunities; and

4.    access to affordable higher education.

Unless these were provided in addition to clinics, there can be no (a)
efficiency and (b) no equity.

Without social and economic policies which promote equality to basic health
and education services, there can be no progress in halting
'over-exploitation' which is largely a problem associate with developed
nations which consumer the vast amount of natural resources....

Eg. the per capita rate of wood consumption in the US is 300 kg/year,
whereas in the Sudan and in Peru, where wood is used as fuel, the per capita
rate of wood consumption is between 0.1 and 0.3 kg per year.

The US uses on a per capita basis up to 25 % of the world's natural
resources, but has less than 5% of the world's population. In Afghanistan,
for instance, there are many children affected by blindness, a condition
which could have been cheaply and easily prevented by the simple
adminstration of antibiotics which cost less than $1.00 US.

chao

John Foster












> The southern hemisphere has had an horrendous summer.
> The heat in Australia is intolerable, and we haven't
> had any decent rain for almost a year. Over the xmas
> period the whole country seemed to be on fire.
>
> There is no "greenhouse" effect here. All those
> lunatic futuristic movies like Mad Max which depicts
> the landscape of the future as a barren, toxic desert
> are coming to pass.
>
> There should be a free abortion clinic in every
> village in every country in the developing world. The
> developed countries should immediately cease ALL
> immigration and let their populations go into natural
> decline.
>
> If the human race does not immediately try to reduce
> itself, we're doomed.
>
> Brad
>
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