I must ask — by what metric do you conclude the Earth is underpopulated?

When I was a young boy, 1940s to 50s, we had about 2 billion people (est.). Now we seem to be up to around 8 billion. Results:

1. Pollution beyond nature’s ability to compensate.

2. Societal ills due to overcrowding (compare rural vs major metro perspectives on what’s important to life).

3. Lack of consideration for social dynamics as a factor in community identity and the effects of overcrowding.

4. Lack/decline of essential natural resources such as water, fish stocks, grazing land for meat animals (do you really want to eat insects?).

These comprise a short but observable list of concepts that seem to be left out of the discussions relating to the population question. The frightening aspect is humanity’s ability to procreate and the observable problems we are now experiencing. These issues lead to the globalization of society. It is an “all your eggs in one basket” structure that actually puts us as a species at greater peril.

Rick Rienks

Baker City