If you had a trillion dollars that….

[Gloria]

I picked population control, it seems to me every problem starts with too many people.
Helping woman gain control of their own reproduction is where I would start. Educated or not when questioned woman often state the ideal family size to be less than what they often wind up producing.
I don't have the answers but that kind of money would surely generate a few safe, easily obtained options.

[jpdenk]

Originally Posted by Equilibrium

I'm a mandated reporter. Our hands are tied until we change some laws.

I wasn't familiar with the term "mandated reporter", so I looked it up. Now I'm confused, as the info I'm seeing says that a mandated reporter is required by law to report any abuses they find. How are your hands tied?

John

[FunTimeGrowHap]

Originally Posted by philip

how do you control population though?

I suppose one way would be to give people wealth for not having children once they are older than a certain age. And giving them condoms and The Pill for free.

This amount decreases if you have one child, and goes to zero if you have two.

The free Pill and condoms would go on forever.

Population reduction just has some scary overtones. Although, yeah, there are too many humans.

That option definitely sounds sinister.

[jpdenk]

Originally Posted by FunTimeGrowHap

That option definitely sounds sinister.

I don't see how that's sinister. The parts of the world that currently have the highest population growth are generally parts of the world that are having trouble feeding, providing clean water and and providing health care to the existing population. I would think that a plan like that is way better than having a large percentage of the population dying from starvation, lack of water or disease.

And as world populations climb, more and more countries will be faced with feeding and caring for their people, and access to good water is a HUGE issue that is looming on the horizon, so it's not just the countries that are currently straining that we have to think of. We need to think ahead on this one, IMO.

John

[bridget1964]

I saw this post when you first put it up, Equilibrium. I didn't click on it until today and saw that it was a poll. When I read the six choices, I immediately went to click on 'population control' and then was afraid of what the others on here would have chosen. I decided to say 'screw it' and clicked on it anyway. Well, I was surprised (not very) to see so many of us here have the same opinion on this topic!

I chose to have no children. I did so for a variety of reasons--growing up with 6 siblings, worrying about bringing a child into a messed up world, being an elementary school teacher. I love kids and love my chosen profession very much. People tend to criticize those of us who make this choice. I myself feel I can do my best as an individual who chooses to teach/nurture/care for others' children instead of my own.

I work in a town and school district where women get pregnant young and often. My students see their older sisters get pregnant in their teens and think that this is the way things have to be. It is a vicious cycle that doesn't seem to have an end.

I believe population control to be of great importance if we are ever going to save our Earth. Birth control, tax relief for not reproducing, education, etc. Whatever it takes.

[FunTimeGrowHap]

Originally Posted by jpdenk

I don't see how that's sinister. The parts of the world that currently have the highest population growth are generally parts of the world that are having trouble feeding, providing clean water and and providing health care to the existing population. I would think that a plan like that is way better than having a large percentage of the population dying from starvation, lack of water or disease.

And as world populations climb, more and more countries will be faced with feeding and caring for their people, and access to good water is a HUGE issue that is looming on the horizon, so it's not just the countries that are currently straining that we have to think of. We need to think ahead on this one, IMO.

John

I could have been clearer. I think that free condoms around the world would be a great use for a big ol' pile of philanthropism, but the phrase "population reduction on a 'global' scale" sounds like a massive disease outbreak or ethnic cleansing.

[TheLorax]

Oh dear. I do not believe any member we have would entertain massive disease or ethnic cleansing as a means by which to reduce the world's population.

Ethical and humane culturally “appropriate” population reduction on a "global" scale

My interpretation of the above is such that the words ethical and humane discourage such draconian and barbaric practices. Perhaps it would be best if the original poster expanded for us.

[FunTimeGrowHap]

Of course nobody wants that. Population control was the option I voted, I'm just saying it sounds ominous.

[sprucetree]

The way our Capitalist thinking goes there"s no value to the "Commons" and a Trillion dollars wouldn't go far enough but that's what I chose in the Poll. Land Acquisition would also Sequester Carbon and Bio-Mediate any heavy metal Pollution,, Native Americans used the land to survive by harvesting the bounty of the land and we have learned that Climax Forest is good but by disruption edge habitat contains more Bio-Diversity. Even where people did own land ponds could be used to raise fish and gardens that supply food and fuel instead of lawns. If we all started living softly on the the land which if you read US history is what our Founders were striving for some of our other problems would take care of themselves.

[Equilibrium]

Took me a while but I found this thread!!!! Yaya!!! I'm thinking most of will like this video,
Overpopulation and the Destruction of the Environment by Earthly Human Beings

Overpopulation and the Destruction of the Environment by Earthly Human Beings. - YouTube

Overpopulation and the Destruction of the Environment by Earthly Human Beings. - YouTube