Mike Sauers

Today the Earth’s population is about 8 billion. It is projected to reach 10 billion by 2050. This is a root cause of many existing problems that grow worse with each passing day. Population growth with a penchant for overconsumption and waste or population growth that is mired in poverty drive our dilemmas with land, water and air. Scientists who talk about population are lost voices in the wilderness. They get marginalized in policy decisions regarding economic development, community development, environmental responsibility and quality of life. Our global economic system demands steady growth in consumption. It needs new or expanding markets with more consumers and workers. The impact of this is more obvious everyday and it is unsustainable.

The scientific consensus is that unsustainable human population growth and overconsumption drive the mass extinction of flora and fauna now occurring on Earth. This is not rocket science. As human population grows it takes over and changes more and more habitat needed for healthy populations of plant and animal species. Sprawling towns and cities, suburbs, malls, extensive highways systems, industrial parks, golf courses, etc. have dramatically eliminated wildlife habitat. Add to that the outright slaughter of animals for meat, skins, horns, tusks, trophies or as nuisance animals (defined as impediments to business/development) and you have a recipe for disaster. This happened in Pennsylvania with wolves, mountain lions, woodland bison, fishers, elk, moose, otters, martens, lynx, badgers and wolverines.

Earth has a finite supply of fresh water. While the Earth is covered by 70% water only 3% is usable to humans as well as most flora and fauna. Much of that is in the form of glaciers. Currently, about a billion humans can’t get water. Almost 3 billion humans experience water scarcity throughout the year. 8 billion humans with their varying uses and dependent need for fresh water have significantly stressed our natural water systems. A competitive economic system that promotes senseless and greedy development has eliminated life sustaining wetlands. Rivers, lakes and aquifers have been polluted to the point of limited use. Outdated, inadequate and no sanitation systems subject 2.5 billion humans to deadly water borne illnesses. 2 million children die each year. Agriculture, mostly to raise food for meat consumption, uses the greatest amount of water. Climate change is altering water supplies.

Just as with fresh water, Earth has a finite amount of land. As human population increases so does the consequential environmental damage. Mindless human population growth has resulted in vast areas of deforestation, soil degradation, human activity pollution and a loss of biodiversity. Frustrated ecologists have struggled endlessly to protect wildlife communities from outside interference by human activity. There have been some successes but the incessant human onslaught is inevitable without a worldwide commitment to act responsibly. Humans have yet to muster a critical mass of intellect and determination to do so.

Earth’s air is in a constant state of flux within the natural world. Heat from the sun, the water cycle, volcanoes, dust storms, tornados, hurricanes, heavy rainstorms, blizzards, tides, etc. all have a significant impact on Earth’s air composition completely devoid of human input. Humans add a vast array of pollutants via the burning of fossil fuels, industrial emissions, agricultural practices, waste management including landfills and incinerators, large scale deforestation, food production and transportation. Many of these pollutants can be found in the air worldwide as well as in the bloodstream of humans worldwide. Naturally, as the human population grows so does the level and variety of pollutants. Most of these are harmful and many are carcinogenic. They contribute to climate change and global warming.

This is a layman’s perspective gleaned from science. Aside from natural world factors, it all is connected to human population. Is it possible to put the brakes on all of this and create a world where all humans can not just exist but have a life worth living? A life worth living within the natural world and as part of a planetary ecosystem is a worthy aspiration. How do we accomplish this?

A review of scientific consensus indicates that there are several significant measures which, if practiced by a unified planet, could slow, stabilize and perhaps reverse human population. None of these are easy and some are controversial. The first would be a wide eyed realization, especially in first world countries, that the human population is already suffering. Approximately 8 million humans die each year from starvation or diseases related to malnourishment. The human population is so large that our current governmental/economic/social systems, either independently or in aggregate, will not adequately address the problem. It is not a priority. Those of us not suffering from food and related insecurities must prioritize the reality of millions who are starving, lack shelter, lack clothing, lack medical care, lack education, lack human rights and self determination and are subject to tyrants, wars and climate disasters. This prioritization or critical mass of intellect needs to be communicated to and acted upon by leaders. These are our fellow human beings. The entire planet could and should solve this. This reality alone brings focus to the issue of a growing human population. Easier said than done!

In conjunction with the above, family planning is critical. Worldwide, women need to be empowered to control their bodies and lives. Women are brutalized in many parts of the world. This outrage demands an end and the world must ensure that women can pursue education, careers, economic independence, self-determination and reproductive rights. Access to contraception is vital. Educated family planning translates into less humans. It is a powerful tool directly related to solving serious environmental and quality of life issues.

Pie in the sky? Unrealistic? Paddling upstream? Maybe, but what is the alternative? We are currently a world that wages war against the planet, ourselves and each other. In terms of market share, the United States is the largest producer and exporter of weapons of mass destruction. We are followed by a dozen or so other developed countries. The United States has a massive defense budget much of which is secret and untraceable. Other countries follow a similar pattern. That is insanity perpetrated on the world by less than 1% of the population. Don’t get me wrong. Standing up for yourself in defense of your beliefs is important. I learned that from my parents and honed it growing up. We need to wage peace! The financial resources exist, however, they need to be prioritized. Our children, their children, their children and beyond deserve a peaceful world, a diverse and healthy ecosystem and a life worth living. For that matter, all humans do. It all starts with the individual, then the family, then the community and so on. We should settle for no less.