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Should We Stop Worrying and Love the Population Bomb?
New World Population Day video uses hard facts and humor to demonstrate the dangers of overpopulation
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The world needs frank talk about overpopulation, according to a non-profit whose mission is to inspire the world to “end its outdated love affair with economic and population growth.” To increase awareness about the state of the world’s population, and the ramifications of continued growth, GrowthBusters released a new video today on YouTube and its population awareness campaign website, worldpopulationday.org. The video, titled Should We Stop Worrying and Love the Population Bomb?, offers startling statistics about how fast world population is growing, how it’s expected to swell, and why that’s bad news for future generations.
The video contrasts the worrisome statistics with lighthearted moments, quizzing people on the street about world population. The interviews are conducted by GrowthBusters founder Dave Gardner, who directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth (2011). Gardner’s easy-going style draws people out, providing a thought-provoking glimpse of what average people know and think about population growth.
“This video is a response to the wave of sermons from growth apologists trying to comfort us that population growth is projected to end in 100 years,” explains Gardner. “They want us to relax, to remain complacent while another century of population growth increases their markets but destroys vital natural life-support systems.” The campaign and video are designed to provoke informed public thought and dialog. “The United Nations (which established World Population Day), environmental and sustainability groups, and media tap-dance around the fact the world is overpopulated,” explains Gardner. “Continued growth in the scale of humanity — our population and consumption level — is not a path to good lives on a full planet,” explains project Co-Producer Lynsey Jones.
Gardner continues, “We’re adults. We can handle the truth. Our future depends on acknowledging we’ve over-achieved in the be-fruitful-and-multiply department, so we can begin changing that behavior.” Jones sums up the campaign’s goal: “Couples around the world, armed with knowledge about the state of the world’s population, will be better equipped to make the loving, compassionate decision to limit how many children they conceive.”
Reaching the 10 billion world population mark (which the latest UN mid-range scenario estimates could happen by 2061), is not pre-destined, Gardner assures. “We have the power to end human overpopulation in this century. But the UN assumes we will continue to beat around the bush on the subject of population, and we will therefore have a largely uninformed and unmotivated public. If that’s all we expect, that is what we’ll get.”
GrowthBusters’ World Population Day campaign will raise awareness and encourage couples to plan smaller families through:
1. Videos, essays and news stories published at www.worldpopulationday.org
2. Top 10 Reasons to Choose a Small Family published on the organization’s websites, Facebook and Twitter
3. Top 10 Population Films (the public is invited to vote) on Gardner’s blog
In addition, the GrowthBusters team recently launched www.growthbiasbusted.org, a website that encourages accurate reporting and commentary on issues of growth in population, economies and consumption. Growth Bias Busted spotlights examples of pro-growth bias on its “Wall of Shame,” and celebrates balanced and accurate reporting on the “Wall of Fame.”
The GrowthBusters film and ongoing public education efforts are projects of non-profit Citizen-Powered Media.
Dave Gardner is available for interviews.
Video – Should We Stop Worrying and Love the Population Bomb?:
http://worldpopulationday.org/should-we-stop-worrying-and-love-the-population-bomb
Top 10 Reasons to Choose a Small Family: http://www.growthbusters.org/2013/06/top-10-reasons-to-choose-a-small-family
Top 10 Population Films: http://www.growthbusters.org/2013/06/vote-for-top-10-population-films/
Growth Bias Busted Website: http://www.growthbiasbusted.org
Media Resources: http://www.growthbiasbusted.org/media-resources
16 Comments on "Should We Stop Worrying and Love the Population Bomb?"
socrates1fan on Wed, 10th Jul 2013 9:25 pm
The issue with this media is that it is going to be primarily seen by those in the developed world, where fertility rates are falling dramatically and people already have too few kids.
For the regions where people are having too many kids (Africa for example), this will do nothing.
rollin on Wed, 10th Jul 2013 11:55 pm
As usual they are aiming at a symptom not the causes.
GregT on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 1:02 am
What is it with all of this blatant racism that has infiltrated these comment sections lately?
The underdeveloped world is not responsible for what is happening to our economies. We are the ones that are destroying the planet, we are the ones that demand exponential growth in a finite world, and we are the ones that will be responsible for our own demise. If it wasn’t for all of those expendable people in third world countries, the rest of us would actually have to work for a living. Just like every generation before us did.
BillT on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 1:06 am
“We’re adults. We can handle the truth…”
No, you cannot! Nuff said…
BillT on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 1:09 am
GregT, the racism is more the ‘selfish me’ speaking, I think. They don’t want to admit that, if there were no 1st world, things would be different and maybe 7 billion of us could manage on a 3rd world lifestyle. After all, the 1st world uses more than all of the rest by at least 300%
Airwicky on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 2:18 am
It’s kinda of racism but partially true to say that people born in India will affect Americans or Westerners because a percentage of those living in India or elsewhere will find themselves in the 1st world. Even the developing world causes much of our problems especially when it comes to the environment but BillT, you’re right about the resources/energy part.
GregT on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 5:08 am
OK, by the 1st world, I assume that you mean the ‘new world’, or North America. If so, what gives all of us the right to be here above, lets say ‘Indians'( whatever that means), when we came here and took the land from someone else to begin with?
People lived here for almost 20,000 years, we came along and slaughtered them, destroyed their culture, and even the land itself, and now it is ‘our’ land? WTF? I mean really, are we blood thirsty barbaric savages, or are we mature, rational, intelligent beings?
This planet does not belong to anyone. No one race is any more important than another. If we are so concerned with true ownership, then why don’t we give this land back to the people we stole it from? Or are we simply just a bunch of thieves?
What I see here is Zionism, an age old desire to rule the world, using one of the oldest strategies in the book, divide and conquer. Intolerance, discrimination, racism, and hatred are all strategies that have been used by the Zionists, for eons. While we are all fighting each other, they have always been hiding in the background, planning and scheming for their ultimate control of the world. When will people ever learn?
http://www.erichufschmid.net/TFC/Ashkenazi-Nazis.html
GregT on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 5:59 am
Furthermore, do a bit of research into who controls western media, most of the large western corporations, and even congress. Ask yourself the question; Why are muslims being targeted?
The ultimate goal of Zionism, is world domination. Not through money, political power or earthly endeavours. They believe that they are the chosen ones, and will rule the earth under God. Prophesy says that the temple of Israel must be rebuilt on the holiest site on earth, where Solomon’s temple once stood, before God’s reign on earth can begin. One small problem, the Muslim temple, the Dome on The Rock, just happens to be in the way.
The Dome must be destroyed at any cost, and it will be, before Solomon’s temple can be rebuilt. The blueprints have already been drafted and approved.
Ultimately this is a holy war, and the Muslims, and Zionist Jews are well aware of that. The rest of us are merely expendable pawns in the game, we always have been. So play your part in doing exactly what the Zionists want, keep discriminating against one another, destroying religion, promoting hatred and intolerance, and be sure to pay your taxes in order to keep the Zionist war machine going.
DC on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 6:33 am
/Q Gardner continues, “We’re adults. We can handle the truth. Our future depends on acknowledging we’ve over-achieved in the be-fruitful-and-multiply department, so we can begin changing that behavior
Well, he is right about that, but what I think he should mention in his efforts all our population growth has been imposed fromt the top down. Corporations demand constantly expanding pools of ‘consumers’ to buy and finance their toxic gas-burning cars, the matchstick and PVC homes, and the all other toxic plastic crap they churn out. When us mighty whiteys stopped making babies at the rate our corporate masters deemed beneficial to there bottom lines, they simply told the politicians to open up the immigration floodgates to 3rd worlders who have no desire or ability to control there own numbers.
Problem is, its not our ‘behavior’ that needs changing, as much as we need to otherthrow our corporate rulers and stop ALL immigration-legal or otherwise. The problem has less to do with what goes on the bedroom as it does with what goes on in the boardroom. Thats where our population policy has been decided for the last century.
Arthur on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 6:58 am
“What is it with all of this blatant racism that has infiltrated these comment sections lately?”
Why don’t you invite another 500 million from the third world to North-America, so you can feel good about yourself?
Seriously, hyper-moralistic statements like yours can only be made because you are still well fed, and have not yet been subjected by assaults from hungry flash mobs. You can worry all you want about climate change and resource depletion but I am telling you that what is really going to confront you first personally is social degradation as a consequence of financial and economic degradation. And then you will find yourself in a situation a la a Titanic lifeboat and you have to decide if you are going to use your paddle to hit on all those hands that are trying to climb aboard as well and threathen to bring down the entire boat. I do not like to see other people suffer, but sometimes you will find yourself in a tragic situation. We are all on the Titanic now. There could come a time that the third world will beg to become recolonised again.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1713275,00.html
BillT on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 12:46 pm
Arthur, there will be NO 1st world to ‘colonize’ them by then. You will BE them … but, I know you don’t believe that. Doesn’t matter what you believe. It’s what is going to happen that counts. The 1st world is dead. It just hasn’t fallen over … yet.
GregT on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 2:25 pm
Arthur,
The hungry flash mobs are coming at some point in the not so distant future, I am sure of that. Exactly why my plan, to be far enough away from large population centers and self sustaining, is well underway.
I have travelled through much of Asia, I have stayed on rural farms in India, I know how people there live. In many places it is like going back in history, 2000 years. People do not have running water, electricity might come on for 2 hours, 2 nights a week, and fields are still worked with oxen and water buffalo. Many of these rural peoples will notice very little difference in their lives after a reset.
The social unrest and chaos to come, will be felt the most in areas around the planet that have the most to lose. The more affluent the society, and densely populated, the worse things will be.
It has already begun, and it will get much worse over the coming years.
Focussing on immigration will not do any good, it would be much better to focus on what you are going to do yourself to survive a post industrial world.
If you do not believe that a reset is inevitable, then keep doing what you are, and maybe things will work out OK.
I do not personally prescribe to that point of view.
Kenz300 on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 4:23 pm
Over population is the worlds worst environmental problem
Balls on the Line For Planet Earth – World Vasectomy Day |
http://peakoil.com/enviroment/balls-on-the-line-for-planet-earth-world-vasectomy-day
GregT on Thu, 11th Jul 2013 4:43 pm
You guys should all go out and get snipped. It would only make my life that much more enjoyable. 🙂
Arthur on Fri, 12th Jul 2013 5:11 am
http://www.crimefilenews.com/2013/07/technology-and-american-summer.html
Remember what happened in the UK in I believe 2011: ethnic uprisings in ALL big cities and it took days to suppress it. Syria regularly closes down the internet to deprive rebels of means of communications. Could happen in the US this summer. Poor NSA: nothing to spy on.
Arthur on Fri, 12th Jul 2013 8:48 am
“Arthur, there will be NO 1st world to ‘colonize’ them by then. You will BE them … but, I know you don’t believe that. Doesn’t matter what you believe. It’s what is going to happen that counts. The 1st world is dead. It just hasn’t fallen over … yet.”
I said that the third world some day could beg to become colonized, not that it is going to happen. And IF Africa is going to be colonized, China has the better cards to do so. Africa as we speak is a major supplier of resources for China in exchange for infrastructure development. And Africa is getting online with Chinese hardware. China will have Africa, Europa will have Russia/Siberia for their resp supplies of raw materials and energy.