Call of Life documentary

[redhen]

I thought about posting this in the David Attenborough or the Population bomb threads, but I didn't want it to get buried in pages of posts.

For a while now I've been posting (where pertinent) a trailer for an upcoming documentary on the current mass extinction event. It seems that it is now finished and released. You can find the Call of Life in the link below.

http://www.cultureun...Mass-Extinction

It's about an hour and half long, and features Richard Leakey and Paul Ehrlich (of Population Bomb fame/infamy). There's also appearances from environmental activists and spiritual figures.

I think Paul Ehrlich had it right when he said in this documentary that the biggest problem we face is not overpopulation but consumerism. Even if our current population of 6.6 billion does not increase, just maintaining our current level of consumerism will doom many species, and that includes homo sapiens.

Of course human overpopulation is a main factor in species extinction, and academics agree that we need to reduce it. Richard Leakey points out that it is a politically incorrect thing to say, and that implementing such a solution is fraught with political and ethical concerns. He admits he doesn't have an answer. Personally I think education and the empowerment of women in many developing countries is crucial. But that kind of talk is liable to get you shot in places like Pakistan. It's going to be a challenge for sure.

[Ashotep]

Right now I don't think anyone would want to limit the number of children people have but when the population reaches 10 or 12 billion there might be moves towards that. Considering that aquifers are getting low at today's population people need to think twice about adding to the problem by having large families. Its not just Pakistan or Muslims other religions will have you believe you are breaking one of gods rules if you don't have a lot of kids and condemn birth control. That is a problem in itself. These countries need to start considering how they are going to feed all these people one day and not leave it up to God. The pope won't be there to feed them either.

[Doug1029]

Right now I don't think anyone would want to limit the number of children people have but when the population reaches 10 or 12 billion there might be moves towards that.

I don't think we will need to limit family size by law. Just educate women and make effective and convenient birth control measures available to them to use voluntarily, and they will bring down family size. People choose their philosophy for pragmatic reasons, then find a way to justify that philosophy within their religion. Pragmatism will win out. Of course, old men with no practical understanding of families, will try to influence events. Some friends of mine, devout Catholics, sum up it beautifully. "Regarding the Pope: you no play the game; you no make the rules."

Doug

[Ugly1]

I think we are just going to go from big wars, to HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE wars. Wars that will make the casualties in WW2 look like casualties in a car crash. No disrespect intended to soldiers passed, but I feel with more people, will just lead to more killing on a global battlefield.

[Doug1029]

I think we are just going to go from big wars,

Wars over resources are nothing new and we can expect a bunch of them,

BUT: wars are a hugely inefficient way of controlling population because they consume large amounts of resources. In the Vietnam War, the US could have killed more Vietnamese, cheaper, by building them a highway system and buying everybody a car. And they'd have loved us for it. But we decided to kill them in the least-efficient and most unpopular way possible.

The wars in the Gulf have been about controlling other countries' access to oil - not revenge for 9/11. Geopolitics. Follow the money.

Doug