The Population Question

Here are some articles that may help to clear up some of the confusion spread by the lecture of the Chief Rabbi earlier this month.

Tom Rees explains Why Sacks is wrong on religion and fertility by citing the correct statistics.

Caspar Melville thinks the non-religious have their own rather more subtle strategy: Anti-natal atheists?

The Optimum Population Trust thinks the UK Population Increase 'Out of Control', but is unclear on the methods to bring it under control.

The Population Problem

Although we are Humanists that doesn't mean we want a planet over-run with Humans! The Optimum Population Trust is in the news since David Attenborough has become one of its patrons. He says: "I’ve never seen a problem that wouldn’t be easier to solve with fewer people, or harder, and ultimately impossible, with more."

The Population Problem tends to be a taboo subject, because of the fear that it could only be controlled by coercive measures. But without some rational approach, presumably based on education and voluntary self-control, it is probable that population will be controlled in the end by flood, famine, pestilence and war.

The world population is now approaching 7 billion (that's 7 with nine zeros) and is projected to go over 9 billion by 2050. It is probably already well above the optimum at which pollution and damage to the environment can be avoided.