Sadly enough, this is an enormously overlooked problem. All the issues thrown around in the elections are issues chosen for us, not by us.

I, also, believe that overpopulation is the most serious problem facing humanity.

I take great solace from the fact that most of the political models currently embraced by our world leaders will inevitably lead to a significant reduction in our overall population.

Have a nice day. 🙂

I don’t view millions or billions of sudden deaths to be acceptable collateral damage for any goal, including population reduction.

I feel there are probably ways to effectively manage the Earth’s resources while gradually reducing the population without having to let a war or a famine or a plague do it all at once for us, the trouble is that not enough people are acknowledging that there’s a problem in the first place.

For a while, China had a limit on how many kids a family could have. If everyone did that, the population would steadily decrease over time. The problem is the people who want large families would complain.

China had other problems besides that, because families wanted male children and would thus just toss female babies into ditches and stuff.

China also has the problem in that 1 grandchild will end up supporting 4 grandparents. You also have a nation of spoiled kids from 1 child households.

Deep hurting, you make a valid point in your first comment then come off like a backwoods redneck in your second. Yes, a preference for male children in rural, agrarian areas has been an unfortunate by-product of stringent family planning policies in China, but there are hardly mountains of dead girl babies mounding up in ditches (selective abortion and high rates of female children put up for adoption hit closer to home). Countryside Chinese are currently allowed to have additional children if the first is a girl in order to try to combat these trends. And Andrew, you are dead on.

The Chinese policy was amazingly shortsighted. When they imposed the one child per family limit no consideration was given to the cultural conditions under which males are valued much more highly than females. That and the desire to carry on the family name. Thus many female babies were abandoned, or adopted by couples in North America. So the inevtiable has happened. The ratio of marriageable age Chinese men to women is ridiculously high. The females kept by their parents have their pick of potential husbands. And many males are not able to find a mate.

An aging population results from having less children, and that’s another problem we don’t want to have. The Babyboomer generation is a great example. There’s going to be significantly less people working once they retire. Not only does that shock welfare/social security, it has far-reaching impacts on the economy and immigration.

Japan is an example of a country currently with an aging population. As native Japanese citizens age, immigration increases. This shows that the country is less able to sustain itself on its own.

Having less children, in short, means having a shortage of people who can tend to the old.

“I, also, believe that overpopulation is the most serious problem facing humanity.”

As opposed to ignorance?

Racism? Cultural ignorance, an inability to empathize with other human beings. Sexism? Same thing. Greed? Selfishness, shortsightedness; ignorance.

People are just being stupid, is all. If the Earth is unable to support our current population, it’s because resources are being wasted and nobody’s thinking of the future. Maybe there will come a day when there’s just too many of us, but institutionalized depopulation just strikes me as psychopathic.

The overpopulation movement needs desperately to go MUNICIPAL with childfree towns with no school taxes. See my website for explanation.

Wow. Puts things in perspective. Also, nobody like Octo-Mom because she was over-publicized and has some sort of mental problem. (In my opinion.)

aw how sad,,,,

Can anyone tell me what this editorial cartoon is about? I’d like to understand it.

@Mercedes

This cartoon is about “Octomom”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadya_Suleman

and overpopulation of the planet.

In the cartoon Mother Earth (notice her pregnant belly) is saying “8 Kids? You think that’s bad? Take a look at my 8 billion”