WRONGS THAT NEED CORRECTION

ECOLOGICAL ISSUES

It is a universally acknowledged fact that the world of the twenty first century faces many serious challenges.  And most would agree that particularly critical among them are issues regarding our environment.

The entire human race is entitled to a secure, healthy, ecologically sound place to live.  And yet, so many ecological symptoms suggesting the opposite have raised their frightening heads during recent years.  These include overpopulation, food and water shortages, global warming, shrinking forests, abuse of agricultural lands, overexploited fisheries, as well as needless abuse, waste, and destruction of many other of our natural resources.  Actions taken thus far by national governments to promote conservation and sustainable use of these resources can be characterized as inadequate in the extreme.  And of course, as we know, ecological issues, problems, and disasters know and respect no national boundaries; and are thus usually regional, and even worldwide, in nature and scope.

One oft-mentioned ecological problem regards population and its continued growth.  It is frequently referred to by means of questions such as "How many people can the earth support?"  The most worrisome thing about this concept lies in the fact that our voluminousness is growing at an increasingly substantial and rapid rate.  It is estimated that it took the human race at least fifty thousand years to reach one billion, at about 1840.  Since than, we have been increasing our numbers at a faster and faster pace with each passing year.  At the turn of the twentieth century, our planet is estimated to have been home to 1.2 billion people.  By 1930, our numbers had grown to approximately two billion.  In 1970, the estimate had reached 3.6 billion.  And, on the date this sentence is being written (July 28, 2012), The United States Census Bureau's World POP Clock Projection guesses that this quantityIt is noteworthy that in recent years, the greatest degree of population growth is taking place in Africa and Asia.  For example, in the region embracing  has risen to something like 7,029, 199, 493.  But even more troubling is the prediction that the human family will increase to nearly nine billion by the year 2050.  (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.  World population to 2300) 

It is noteworthy that in recent years, the greatest degree of population growth is taking place in Africa and Asia.  For example, in the region embracing the African nations of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, population has multiplied by at least seven hundred percent since 1915.  And, according to a projection published by the United States Census Bureau in March, 1992, the population of the African continent was expected to increase vastly in the years ahead (as of 2011, it has risen to over a billion).

At the same time, Asia is increasing the number of our planet's inhabitants by at least 57 million people each year.  The "winners" of the "population prize" are, by the way:  China, with at least 1.3 billion, and India, with over 1.2 billion, in 2011.

In addition, Mexico, as well as much of Central and South America, are also playing their part in contributing to the crowd that occupies oiur planet.  As an example, we are confronted with the disturbing prospect that, in accordance with its current birth rate, Mexico;s population, already quite sizeable, will double every twenty years.  Another interesting factor is that at least of that country's present population is less than sixteen years of age.  An unhappy net result of this is contained in the grim observation that in Mexico, and in many other places as well, population has vastly outstripped food supply.

As Malthus warned us, a population rising in an uncontrolled fashion will sooner or later experience crises and disasters, especially among its less fortunate members, by reason of the fact that the earth is but a finite producer.  According to this theory, such conditions should naturally serve to curtail further population growth.  But it seems likely that today, a number of modern life's new and additional intervening factors have operated to limit or annul many formerly natural restrictive processes.  And so, population continues to expand, seemingly ad infinitum, around the world.

Some of these very places just mentioned are subject to regularly occuring spells of drought, and/or other weather-related conditions, which cause periodic episodes of hardship and famine.  Of particular note is the fact that when famine does strike somewhere in today's world, political conflict within those same regions may cause it to be difficult or impossible for the rest of humanity to render aid.  Food and aid shipments are often confiscated by government and/or rebel forces; and the diverted products used to feed and assist the troops; or worse, permitted to rot unconsumed and unused at the point of interception. 

Rebellion and other such political conflicts often comprise efforts by the rebel forces to overthrow current ruling forces within a country, and to thereby assume control of that place.  Perhaps, if the world were governed by a  single global entity, such rebellious ambitions would assert themselves less often, and less vehemently; as they would likely constitute rebellion by relatively smaller groups--against the rest of the world (a criminal episode, at worst).

Furthermore, under such general ideal circumstances as are contemplated herein, the absence of political conflict and warfare would enable aid, for things like drought or famine, and for other problems as well, to be furnished wherever it should happento become needed, without let or hindrance.  Moreover, in a united world, a great deal less attention and expenditure of resources would be wasted on arms and armies; thereby yielding opportunity for more to be devoted to improvements to, and better production of, our necessities, including food and water supplies.  As a consequence, famine and water shortages might occur less frequently--and perhaps eventually not at all.  But if one of these tragedies should nevertheless occur, it would not be striking at, and straining the resources of, a single small country--which then needs to beg for aid from the rest of us.  Rather, it would be striking a small proportional area of our entire world.  In such a perspective, as something requiring assistive and/or corrective efforts from a worldwide standpoint, it appears to be a problem more easily and effectively dealt with on behalf of all of us.

Although often related to, or a cause of, famine, water problems constitute a separate set of concerns.  Water abundance or scarcity can be a primary factor in determining prosperity or poverty, even life or death.  It has even, on past occasions, been a cause for the waging of war.  We are warned by experts in these fields, that unless wealthier regions reduce consumption, and population figures are simultaneously stabilized worldwide, water scarcity will lead to greater and greater political as well as general human insecurity in the years ahead.

But relief is as yet not in sight.  Today, water scarcity continues to escalate in many areas.  In 1990, more than a billion people werre said to be without safe, clean drinking water.  Twenty two years later, this sad state of affairs appears to have worsened.  It is thus another issue that needs to be viewed and dealt with on a worldwide basis, so that no one will be deprived, due to geography or circumstance, of this basic human entitlement.

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