WORLD: Zero Population Growth

Photo Introduction: If you follow this blog (and who doesn't?), you know that I despise a text-only post. Lacking any contextual photos or graphics, I decided to spice up this post with the photo below of a California sea lion taken in Port San Luis last week by me. The sea lion yearling appeared to be sick and abandoned. This is the type of photo that a group like ZPG might use to promote the concept that the growing billions of humans on the planet are causing environmental disaster (I do not necessarily disagree), and thus hope to garner donations to their cause. Click to enlarge.

On to the Population Growth Blog Post! Back in the 1970's, I was a member of a group called Zero Population Growth (ZPG). It was clear that unchecked human population growth would eventually bring disaster to this planet. It is still true today.

Forty years ago, this was a popular topic, both in newspapers, TV and in classrooms. Today, it is rarely mentioned. I have no idea why (actually, I do, but that is a topic for another time). From my perspective, "there is no world problem that is not reduced in scope by a reduction in the number of people on our planet." This is not a religious or political reproductive issue - it is just a fact.

Today, I finally hear from ZPG in a mailer that I opened just this minute. I am excited to rejoin ZPG. Wait a minute. The promo material in their mailer jumps right in and blames the Tea Party movement for unsustainable world population growth - huh? Apparently, this assertion is somehow related to the politics of immigration reform, though I can't figure out how. An internet search of "Tea Party" and "Zero Population Growth" didn't give me much of a clue. For now, I am stuck with being unable to resume my support of ZPG, though I do support the concept that there are too many folks on this planet, and its causing a problem, and its only going to get worse.

Though I do not actively follow the Tea Party movement, I do generally support what they stand for. Since the Tea Party is not a political party, or even a centralized group, their message is not always cohesive, but here's the best that I could find: The Ten Principles of the Tea Party. For those too lazy to click the link and read, here are the 10 simple statements that the Tea Party claims to represent:

1. Eliminate Excessive Taxes
2. Eliminate the National Debt
3. Eliminate Deficit Spending
4. Protect Free Markets
5. Abide by the Constitution of the United States
6. Promote Civic Responsibility
7. Reduce the Overall Size of Government
8. Believe in the People
9. Avoid the Pitfalls of Politics
10. Maintain Local Independence

As with all things, the devil is in the details. On its surface, I generally agree with these principles, and fail to see how any of them affect the population of the world. Perhaps it is true that ZPG has been taken over by radical liberals, and that by merely invoking the Tea Party as the enemy of world population reduction (assumedly the goal of ZPG), that it can scoop up donations. Sadly, they are not getting mine.

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