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From: jbj@frc.frc.maf.govt.nz (Brian Jones)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Why bother? (was Re: Terraforming, sun shield)
Message-ID: <860@frc.frc.maf.govt.nz>
Date: 13 Mar 91 19:21:07 GMT
References: <148007@pyramid.pyramid.com>
Reply-To: jbj@frc.UUCP (Brian Jones)
Organization: Ministry of Ag. and Fish., Fisheries Research, Wellington, NZ.
Lines: 34

In article <148007@pyramid.pyramid.com> lstowell@pyrnova.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell) writes:
                 <stuff deleted>

>   The whole history of the human race has changed drastically
>   since the advent of reliable and (reasonably safe) birth
>   control.  Where this is freely available, many populations
>   are actually growing at LESS than the 2 child/couple rate.  
>
>   As lifespans increase, career opportunities expand, I can see
>   nothing that would reverse this growing trend to fewer
>   offspring. <stuff deleted>

The problem is that the rest of the world does not stop at the borders of 
the United States, and the availability of contraception does not limit
the size of families. 

The seeds of a population explosion are with us now, in the children we
already have. Something like 1/3 of the population of Africa is under the
age of 15, the population of the middle east will double in about 50 years.
(I don't have the exact figures with me). 

                                         The second point - the size of the
family is governed by economics, not medicine. If you cannot save $$ for your
old age, and the govt. will not help, then you need lots of kids. Also, a 
TV or other recreation at night helps too..even Americans fall for that one.

I'm all for exploration and terraforming. It makes a better goal than building
 a military machine and then repressing somebody - which seems to be the
popular alternative.

Brian Jones
************************************************
Bomb them, burn them, shoot them, let them starve, let them get sick
but don't gas them - Americans don't like it.