In 1950, Bangladesh teemed with 100 million people.  Today, it overflows with 144 million people.  That might not be so bad, except for one thing: Bangladesh endures that many people in a landmass not much bigger than Ohio!

 

Dr. Alan Kuper, a man I admire and respect, illustrates our accelerating dilemma with metaphors that make sense.  He reports from his web site: "In the days of sailing ships, sailors used to leave goats on islands as they passed to ensure fresh meat on return trips.  It worked too well. The animals bred faster than the sailors could eat them, and from the Channel Islands off California to the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean , goats ate all the vegetation and starved.  The goats also screwed up the environment so that native species couldn't survive, either," said John Wenzel, director the Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity.  "For example, the goats stripped away the plants' low-growing leaves so that tortoises couldn't find enough to eat."

 

How Our "Earth Island" Functions

 

Biologists explain the "lesson of the goats" as it applies to humans and point out how our "island earth" suffers.

 

"Two weeks ago, the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change released its report blaming humans for increased temperatures, melting glaciers and rising seas," Kuper reported.  "Too many people burn too many fossil fuels at 82 million barrels daily."

 

That doesn't account for millions of tons of coal, natural gas and wood being burned every day by 6.6 billion humans.

 

"With global warming, we've been able to create this problem in the first place because we've had virtually free energy in the form of fossil fuels," said Ohio State University ecologist Tom Waite.

 

Kuper reported, "Climate change, Waite and others say, is a sign that we are exceeding the number of people Earth can sustain.  Every year, at least 77 million humans are born in excess of those who die.  That's 1 billion people every 11 years. Some, however, argue that we are adept at adapting, and point to increased agricultural production and medical advances that fend off disease."

 

Earth's carrying-capacity

 

Right now, Earth's carrying-capacity is thought to be somewhere in the range of four billion to five billion people.  We sport 6.6 billion today and grow by 240,000 every 24 hours.  See www.populationmedia.org for the population ticker.

 

"In biology, the carrying capacity usually refers to the number of animals a given area can support with adequate food, shelter and territory or the space to reproduce," Kuper reported.  "Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm said half of the world's population has little access to medicine, electricity, safe water and reliable food supplies."

 

"When you get to the nitty-gritty of the term, some animals are more equal than others.  Some countries are a lot more equal than others," Pimm said.  "You might have 50 billion, but the quality of life might not be terribly pleasing.  Rabbits are the same way.  The key word is support."

 

Ecologist Paul Ehrlich; U.S. Carrying-Capacity

 

"The United States possesses resources to sustain less than half of its current population of 300 million, according to ecologist Paul Ehrlich, who first called attention to potential population problems in 1968 with his book, "The Population Bomb."  Kuper reported, "Waite and other ecologists increasingly think of the idea of carrying-capacity in terms of an ecological "footprint," the amount of land on Earth that it takes to support a group of people."

 

Americans, who make up five percent of the world's population, use 25 percent of its resources and cast a large footprint.

 

"Ohio's footprint is like 11 times the state of Ohio," Waite said.  "The average American's footprint is about 22 acres.  By far, the largest component is energy.  In contrast, the average citizen of India has a footprint one-sixteenth that size."

 

U.S. Consumption & Usage Rates Very High

 

Kuper reported, "If all 6 billion people were to share the world's resources equally, Americans would have to reduce consumption by 80 percent for each of us to have a footprint of about 4.4 acres."

 

"Waite rides a bicycle most days.  However, Waite's footprint grows when he arrives on campus or has to rent a car to attend a meeting out of town," Kuper reported.

 

Carrying capacity and footprint are tied to the global economy

 

"The moment I show up at work, I suddenly violate the fair Earth share and I become unsustainable. Carrying capacity and footprint are tied to the global economy, which has quadrupled since the world's population doubled," said Waite.

 

"That leads to a fear that slowing population growth might not ultimately curb greenhouse gas production if more people achieve Western lifestyles," said Barry Rabe, a University of Michigan political scientist who studies environmental issues. "India and China are developing rapidly and have already affected climate change.  China is opening an average of one coal-fired power plant a week to meet electricity demand.  The power plants emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas."

 

Mimic the U.S.; Attitude Shift in China is Worldwide Driving Force

 

"Everyone in China wants two things: their own apartment and their own car," Pimm said. "That change is going to have a massive effect on the planet."

 

Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute , said the sustainability question is a loaded one, "People ask me how many people the Earth can sustain.  I usually respond that it depends on whether you want to live like an Indian or an American."

 

"For example, farmers worldwide grow about two billion tons of grain every year.  Each American consumes an average of 1,760 pounds annually, mainly because of the grains used to feed farm animals.  If everyone on the planet consumed that much grain," Brown said.  "Earth would support about 2.5 billion people.  But in India, people consume about 440 pounds each.  If everyone else in the world did likewise, the world's grain would support about 10 billion people."

 

Population, water and food lock horns.  Growing one ton of grain requires 1,000 tons of water.  Water shortages already occur in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.  As water flows from agriculture to support growing urban populations, more grain must be imported.

 

Zero-Sum Game; Alternative Energy Equation

 

"Alternative energy, touted as a possible solution to burning fossil fuels that generate greenhouse gases, also adds a factor to the food equation," Kuper reported.  "Soybeans are increasingly in demand for biodiesel.  And ethanol production now vies with food for corn.  Brown estimates that by 2008, half of the U.S. corn crop will go to ethanol."  Shifting corn to fuel production reduces the U.S. export of food to other nations.

 

"Seventy percent of all corn imports in the world come from the U.S., so what happens to U.S. corn crops affects a lot of countries," Brown said.

 

Waite said this competition for energy and food will change the landscape, "If we were to replace our reliance on fossil fuels and instead grow fuel plants that would require setting aside lots of land to produce ethanol.  We don't have enough land worldwide to meet those demands.  Demand for food, fuel and materials already consumes more trees and crops than are being grown worldwide."

 

Bank Account Analogy

 

Waite compares the issue to a bank account.  "Humans are already drawing on capital rather than interest, and once that is exhausted, they will find Mother Nature reluctant to make a loan."

 

For more information concerning our future, contact Dr. Alan Kuper at <mailto:alankuper@earthlink.net>alankuper@earthlink.net .  As you surmise through this series on the next added 100 million Americans, we're crafting a mighty deep chasm for our children.  Check out <http://www.uscongress-enviroscore.org/>www.uscongress-enviroscore.org for a greater understanding of what we face.

 

As you can see from the first part of this series, I showed you what I've seen in the USA via my travels as well as my observations throughout my journeys around the world.  In latter portions of this series, you're hearing from the experts to verify what I have seen.  We must connect the dots, take action and prevent a horrible overpopulation future for our children by taking action today.

 

The U.S. must stand tall, and implement a sensible population strategic plan. It make no sense to continue the rampant "more growth" approach.

 

"We can bring about population stabilization gracefully, or nature will do it brutally."

-- Henry Kendell

What you can do for a better future for your country:

A republican form of government is not a spectator sport. It means you must jump in, roll up you sleeves and take personal and collective action. Of course, you could let a dictator take over and do everything for you, but that path would give you Cuba, China, North Korea and other unsavory examples.

To stop Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid from giving an amnesty, take action.

CALL Nancy Pelosi: Washington, DC - (202) 225-4965

San Francisco, CA - (415) 556-4862 ; Email Nancy Pelosi

sf.nancy@mail.house.gov ; Email form for Nancy Pelosi; http://www.house.gov/pelosi/contact/contact.html

Senator Harry Reid: 202 224 3121 in Washington DC

775 686 5750 in Reno, NV;

George Bush

1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20500

comments@whitehouse.gov

Comments: 202-456-1111

Switchboard for live listener: 202 456 1414

Fax: 202-456-2461

We must 'sour the milk.' Bring out your points in the call:

1. America cannot support another 100 million people added to our country in 34 years, i.e., water crisis, resource depletion, air pollution, gridlock, loss of quality of life, etc.

2. America cannot support lawbreakers being given citizenship.

3. America must maintain our English language.

4. America wants only legal immigrants who play by the rules and speak English.

5. America's working poor deserve a chance at jobs taken by illegals.

6. America already has too many people and I support a 10 year moratorium on all immigration.

7. Americans must maintain our schools for our children.

8. We can no longer tolerate 350,000 birthright citizens (anchor babies) annually that subtract from our own citizens.

9. Attrition through enforcement by stopping their ability to wire money home, obtain rental housing and jobs.

10. An amnesty failed in 1986, and it will only be worse today. We're being displaced out of our jobs and out of our own country. Call with relentless and never-give-up passion.

To reduce illegal aliens in your community, you may follow the course of action by Mayor Louis Barletta of Hazelton, PA. He offers a bomb proof ordinance that takes business licenses away from those who hire illegals. He legally halts landlords from renting to illegals. Without work and without housing, illegals cannot stay in your community. Check out his website for instructions: www.SmallTownDefenders.com/public/node/6

Visit D.A. King at the www.thedustininmansociety.org to see how Georgia created the best laws to stop illegals at the state level.

Please check out William Gheen at www.alipac.us. He's a mover and shaker. He will direct you to specific actions that make you more powerful and effective.

To stop this invasion locally and nationally: join www.numbersusa.com for free and you can join www.fairus.org and www.thesocialcontract.com

Wooldridge presents a 45 minute program to colleges, high schools, civic clubs, church groups and political clubs across America titled: "COMING POPULATION CRISIS IN AMERICA: WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT." Go to his website for further information on booking the program. www.frostywooldridge.com

Check out www.populationmedia.org for an exciting method for creating overpopulation awareness in Third World countries. Their prime directive works with the media in order to educate and activate leaders and women worldwide.

Whether we like it or not, global warming is upon us. We can take action to correct it. Please join www.stopglobalwarming.org for up to the minute information and action items.

Awareness Campaign web site, www.mcs-global.org, which is purely to help save and protect human health and environmental health globally. Diana Buckland is founder and global coordinator at diana@mcs-global.org or dbucklan@bigpond.net.au. Diana makes impact all over the world by alerting everyone about chemical sensitivities caused by poisons sprayed, injected and applied to our crops and elsewhere.

From Part 5 of this series, "Destroying our oceans", if you would like to become involved please refer to <http://www.savetheoceans.org/>www.savetheoceans.org for a first rate lesson on how to take action in order to cleanse our oceans, restock our fish population, move toward recycling and cleanup of our world's most important living resource. Watch shows on PBS that expose where we threw two million tires into the waters off the East Coast and all the damage those tires are doing to marine life. You'll find out what you can do to have them raised from the deep. Additionally, check out www.greenpeace.org for actions at the national and international levels.

www.21stCenturyPaulRevereRide.us ; www.numbersusa.com ; www.carryingcapacity.org ; www.balance.org ; www.thesocialcontract.com

www.alipac.us at 1 866 329 3999; www.theamericanresistance.com ; www.ccir.net ; www.theByteShow.com ;  www.projectusa.org ; www.borderguardians.org ; www.immigrationwatchcanada.org ; www.mothersagainstillegalaliens.org ; www.unitedpatriotsofamerica.com ; www.unitedstates.fm ; www.worldfreedomtour.info ; My book: "IMMIGRATION'S UNARMED INVASION: DEADLY CONSEQUENCES" Call: 1 888 280 7715. http://www.TiANews.com ­ www.victimsofillegalaliens.org ; www.pacinlaw.org; http://USABorderAlert.com/http://SanDiegoBorderAlert.com ; for motorcyclists:

www.americanfreedomriders.com and www.immigrationbuzz.com ;

www.mcs-global.org ; On April 1, 2007, the Paul Revere Riders will again ride to stop the illegal invasion and accompany Arizona long haul truckers and motorcyclists in a freedom border ride to block illegal aliens from crossing our borders. We invite all veterans, truckers and bikers to join us. Contact Rusty Childress at www.immigrationbuzz.com and www.americanfreedomriders.com for further information. Please write with your ideas on what to name the ride.

Frosty Wooldridge possesses a unique view of the world, cultures and families in that he has bicycled around the globe 100,000 miles, on six continents and six times across the United States in the past 30 years. He presents a program to colleges, conferences, high schools and civic clubs around the country: "THE COMING POPULATION CRISIS IN AMERICA: WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT". His published books include: "HANDBOOK FOR TOURING BICYCLISTS" ; "STRIKE THREE! TAKE YOUR BASE" ; "IMMIGRATION'S UNARMED INVASION: DEADLY CONSEQUENCES" ; "MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE TO ALASKA: INTO THE WIND-A TEEN NOVEL" ; "BICYCLING AROUND THE WORLD: TIRE TRACKS FOR YOUR IMAGINATION" ; "AN EXTREME ENCOUNTER: ANTARCTICA". His next book: "TILTING THE STATUE OF LIBERTY INTO A SWAMP". He lives in Denver, Colorado. frostyw@juno.com  

www.frostywooldridge.com