| The Overpopulation Myth |
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Monday, 04 February 2008 18:24
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I have heard it said so many times that I'm a little sick of it: that poverty is a result of a combination of overpopulation, a lack of resources and colonisation. There are many misconceptions in the world but that one has to rate as one of the worst ever. Overpopulation is a theory thought up by Thomas Malthus in 1798 in a paper called "The Principle of Population". The theory basically suggests that there are not enough resources for everyone, that food supply will grow by addition as population grows by multiplication. It is typically existential and stoic in both its conception and its conclusions. And I think that 200 years of steep population growth, but world food price drops and worldwide increase of food availability is enough to put the idea to rest. Yet is continues unabated, as if it were true! The word is even recognised in my spell check for goodness sake. The last time I looked almost every mouth was attached to two hands! Organisations like Zero Population Growth and Planned Parenthood are in existence purely because of Malthus' paper. Here are three facts that everyone should know:
So where's the overpopulation? The word itself is misleading it does not even try to qualify itself against a standard, overpopulation as measurable by what standard of ideal population? It's like the advert that claims that the product gives 20% more. I want to know more than what; the competitor, the older product, Bengalese tigers, rocks, what? Action based on the theory has caused a huge amount of effort with very little reward. Actually foreign aid has done more harm than good. Poverty is not caused by overpopulation, neither is it caused by a lack of resources. I also cannot accept that it has been caused by colonisation (poverty is not amongst the many wrongs done in the name of colonisation). Here's a simple question for all those thinking of immigrating: Where would you want to raise your kids - Communist China or Taiwan (if those two were the only choice)? Taiwan has about 671 people per km2, and China only 131 people per km2. Well maybe you would rather raise your child in Communist China; what then about a comparison between The DRC and The Netherlands? The Netherlands has 461 people per km2 and The Congo has only 21 people per km2! Many similar exercises can be done, Somalia has only 16 people per km2 and Japan 335. Overpopulation does not cause poverty, it is a myth. Urbanisation may well be a human condition, but overpopulation is not. One of humanities problems is that we thing we are so very significant; we really are not. Before the Renaissance we firmly believed that Earth was the center of the universe. Today we firmly believe that our efforts make such a big impact that we can even change the climate. I have a book of articles and commentaries by Carl Sagan. In one of the articles he argued how an alien race could determine that there was indeed life on earth looking from far off. The only way they would know, argued Sagan, is by measuring the amount of methane in such an oxygen rich atmosphere. The only possible conclusion is that carbon based life is producing it. So Despite the great wall of China, rockets, atom bombs and industry it is flatulence that gives our position away, and not even our own, It's mostly the cows and the sheep! Comments (5)
  written by PattiLain, February 05, 2008
I don't think the problem is too many babies, the problem is people having more than they can afford.
written by Liquid circle, February 05, 2008
Human kind will always be able to provide for itself, we are hunters that adapt to all kinds of situations. Food will never be a problem, but resources such as education, health care and social services will lack due to over population in certain countries that do not have the infrastructure to deal with ma*ses of people. Knowing Holland well as i am native to that country i believe its one of the most over populated countries per km2 in the world. However it has also one of the strongest economies in the world, therefore we don't have a poverty problem. Over population will create poverty if there are no resources to help these people and because they are not being helped or educated the problem will spiral out of control, such as in countries like India where more than 70% of the population is uneducated. Here in SA although not over populated yet, we are heading into that direction, the proof is in the previously disadvantaged area's where we have millions of people living on land that was only supposed to be for thousands, this will create more poverty and more uneducated people, which leads to poverty. So the Myth is half true, not?
written by Liquid circle, February 05, 2008
This is from Aratus, not LC
Hi LC. Half true? I think not true at all. If Holland is overpopulated then tell me why they have no lack of resources (education, health care, social services and food are all resources bud). You say it is because they have a strong economy, but I ask how did they get a strong economy? How did they build up an education base? How did they make health care? Where did their social services come from? If overpopulation was the cause of the lack of these resources then Holland would never have developed. Previous disadvantage has never stopped a civilisation from greatness, in fact it has always played a role in making a great civilisation great. A culture that whines about previous disadvantage is already poor, and no amount of resources will change their poverty. It is something else which causes poverty. It is not overpopulation!
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