he Economist Thinks We’re Wrong
The Economist continues to cling to the idea that limitless human ingenuity removes all limits imposed by the ecosystem. While they don’t say it, the implication of this editorial is that endless population growth is not only possible, but desirable. Nevertheless, the editorial does not make a convincing case that human welfare or that of the biosphere would be improved by continued population growth.
The editorial, like the one they did last September, is in need of a response. Post your responses, and see the 63 comments already made, at http://www.economist.com.
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Malthus, The False Prophet
AMID an astonishing surge in food prices, which has sparked riots and unrest in many countries and is making even the relatively affluent citizens of America and Europe feel the pinch, faith in the ability of global markets to fill nearly 7 billion bellies is dwindling. Given the fear that a new era of chronic shortages may have begun, it is perhaps understandable that the name of Thomas Malthus is in the air. Yet if his views were indeed now correct, that would defy the experience of the past two centuries.
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http://www.economist.com
May 24th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
At least to me, “The Economist” is bereft of intellectual honesty when commenting on two urgent issues: human population dynamics and human-induced global challenges looming ominously before the family of humanity.
A new kind of leader, the likes of Bill Ryerson and David Pimentel, presents the rest of us with something of surpassing value: intellectual honesty. He thinks and speaks out courageously in an intellectually honest way. He does not cover-up or hide from what could somehow be real and true.
Perhaps human beings could more effectively address the emergent and convergent global challenges we see looming ominously before the human community on the far horizon if so many of our leaders did not abuse human intelligence and ingenuity by choosing to adamantly idolatrize the endless growth of the global political economy like “The Economist” is doing in our time.
Science, reasoning and common sense are being twisted and subrugated by “The Economist” to conform to whatever thinking serves the interests of big-business powerbrokers, their bought-and-paid-for politicians and other ‘leaders’ who religiously promote the politically convenient and the economically expedient, in the course of worshipping soon to become unsustainable economic growth.
Bill Ryerson, Vivien Ponniah, Diane Langston, Lindsay Grant, E.O. Wilson, Jean Gilbertson, Paul Ehrlich, Seti Shastrapradja, Russ Hopfenberg, Jane Goodall, Slyvia Earle, John Schellnhuber and James Hansen, among many other capable people inside and outside the PMC community, show us how ignorant too many of our leaders are of the human condition and the finite world we inhabit, and how selfish and harmful are their intentions when they seek to recklessly accumulate limitless amounts of material wealth and political/military power, come what may for the children, coming generations, life as we know it, and the integrity of Earth and its environs.
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population, established 2001