[sellickbhoy]

After watching the Monsanto Pig Patent youtube video, i followed some of the related video links - ooooo scary stuff going on out there

anyway, with global warming, energy crisis, food shortages, disease and a growing world population of consumers needing fed ,is it time to start controlling the population of the planet?

in the past wars, disease, disaster managed to keep the numbers down, but in the last 10 years it's grown at an alarming rate

China passed laws to limit a family to 1 child - leading to millions of children being killed because they were girls and not the desired son.

But are we getting to a point were we need to implement such laws to control population growth, or should the goverment take more sinister steps to do it for us - food stuffs to make us sterile, illegal wars, new diseases

whats your thoughts on how we control having too many people for the planet we are on - or do you think we should just let things carry on.

[Eagledance]

Earth's population is currently 6.8 bn and is forecasted to grow to 9.15 bn by 2050! That's a hell of a lot more people! Factor in cliamte change refugees too and we see a massive struggle for space!

The UK is announcing today how we/it will achieve the legally binding 80% reduction in carbon emission agreed on recently (we won't!) but one things is certain we will constantly be needing to do more to reduce our emissions and consumption as the population expands - it is not sustainable!!

BUT what to do? At a 6th form conference on Climate Change last year the pupils were in uproar when a speaker suggested population limitation as a serious lifestyle choice (over and above the usual energy saving light bulbs and turning off standby!) These kids are the enlightened ones, the eco warriors!! Their response scared me!!

IMO I cannot justify a totalitarian regime style decree on family size in terms of how it would be achieved/policed and the respect for the sanctity of life. But I feel education education education is the key - informing people and allowing them to make informed choices to limit their family to 2 kids. Yes folks get pissed off at hearing the same thing (climate change fatigue!) but this issue is so important we must do this!!

I have decided I do not want any more kids (I have 2) partly for my sanity but the environment is a huge part in this decision too. (My wife remains unconvinced but hey my tadpoles ain't moving!!)

ED

PS a useful link http://www.optimumpopulation.org/

[Troubled Waters]

Jeremy Vine is discussing the whole climate change control and fear on Radio 2 at the mo.  Catch it on iPlayer later if you miss it.  Some are talking about limiting family size, others about how to reduce climate change etc etc.

[sandy]

The problem is resposible people do think about the children they are bringing into the world and people who don't care don't need to think!

[MiriMaran]

I have always taken the view that 2 children per family is enough - just replace what you are yourselves.  Its my view and not a judgement on others!

I totally agree that education is the key.

[CarraghsBorderCollies]

2 kids is more than enough!

[Rosemary]

I think Sandy's right - responsible people generally restrict their families to one or two. And no matter how you try to educate the others, it will have no effect at all.

It's not just about climate change, but about sustainable societies. In my experience, and I KNOW this is probably a generalisation, those that behave responsibly, generate the wealth etc etc have one or two kids. Much of this is driven by economics and wanting to be able to support those kids. However, there are many others who, for want of a better word, breed. The breeding is less controlled than in most farm animals - at least the identity of the father is usually known in farm animals. It's not hard to do the sums - those paying taxes and behaving responsibly are supporting increasing numbers of those who don't. Eventually, society will implode.

[Eagledance]

An interesting phenomenon I have noticed:

I have a number of evangelical christian friends (used to be one, and no offemce intended to anyone who is one!)

And every single family of evangelical christian friends we know has 3 or more  kids!(or are planning such)
This is usually accompanied by a worldview of little environmental concern as 'God will destroy it all anyway!'

Ed

(PS this is partly why I am now a pagan and not an evangelical christian!)

[Tullywood Farm]

I suggest to anyone who is thinking of starting a family that they should consider getting a Cavalier King Charles.
1.They are wonderful.
2.They are easy to keep Happy.
3.They don't want the latest toy or game all the time.
4.They NEVER answer back!.
This is just a selection of the good points.
Also it would definitely help keep the population down.
Regards
Joe  

[sausagesandcash]

responsible people generally restrict their families to one or two.

 

Didn't you know that contraception was a sin....opppps, forgot i'm not on an Irish forum 

Regards,

Morgan

p.s  I have irresponsabily had the audacity to have had four little rays of sunshine.

[Tullywood Farm]

Hi Morgan

Is that why there is NO Condom vending machine in our Local Church Toilet!.     

The problem is not restricting People to one or two kids, It's that most young people nowadays have 3 or 4 but with different people in the same area.
When these kids get to BREEDING AGE lets hope they can find someone who is not their Half brother or Sister!. 
Kindest regards to all
Joe 

[CarraghsBorderCollies]

most young people?
im fairly young myself (24) and im just married with no kids (except 1 baby boy who died a few days after birth)
the young people to which you refer, tend to (but not always) be of very low IQ and living/reared in council estates and terminally on the dole.
be careful how you phrase things, it could be taken the wrong way.

[sandy]

I was sent to take family photos for a foster child and every child and adult I saw in the area was interrelated and I am not exaggerating, a lot looked odd and had behaviour problems but it was like a spiders web linking all the families who shared dads!!! Also when I was doing some drug and alcohol work, some of the drug dealers were dads to a lot of their female customers children........how do you stop that and I suppose it would be an infringement of their human rights to do anything!!!! THe main issue being a lot of children brought up in poor home's with little or no parenting go on to long for a big family, they cannot help they do not have the skills to deal with loads of children and the family then gets cared for by the state!!

[sandy]

All of us were young people!!!!!! I know, I warned people of stereotyping in another post, hope I don't do it, spent too long being told not to...sorry anyway, from a Youth Worker who was young once!!!

[sausagesandcash]

Is that why there is NO Condom vending machine in our Local Church Toilet!.     

We have ours outside the confession box. Buy - confess - go home - go back and confess a few sins of the flesh.....everybodys happy!