I think the order to be switched to "Terrible Pests and Our Only Hope." In my mind's eye I see the wonder of nature for decades and centuries chipped away by irate farmers with rifles.
For an interesting perspective on the concept of food production vs. population growth, read (or read about) the book Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.
Apart from that, change does not have to occur in a generation. The population is increasing, this rate of increase must slow down, stop, and perhaps backpedal a bit. Then, death by starvation, wars and riots are not necessary. The old will pass, and fewer young will be there to take their place.
In the wild, animals, beings, starve--keeps populations in check. Since we humans have exempted ourselves from the laws of nature, we must find a way to keep our population-our birth rate-in check. If we don't, the earth will do it for us the hard way by running out of resources to sustain us. Then, mass starvation and suffering.
Now, if population growth rate is indeed the root cause, reducing it will solve the problem of overpopulation, and of ever-increasing need of food production. It would also help with the running out of limited resources.
Of course, the rate of population growth isn't simple to tackle either. But treating the symptoms without treating the disease is naive. It probably won't be pretty and equitable to everyone--the poor will probably suffer and the rich prosper, as it has ever been.
Kudos to Bourlag for easing suffering. But until people find a widely acceptable way of reducing population growth, making more efficient food production--or stealing still more habitat for the rest of Earth's creastures--does not affect and perhaps even worsens the larger problem. Starvation will always be a problem, regardless of increasing food production, until population growth is reduced.
Apart from that, change does not have to occur in a generation. The population is increasing, this rate of increase must slow down, stop, and perhaps backpedal a bit. Then, death by starvation, wars and riots are not necessary. The old will pass, and fewer young will be there to take their place.
In the wild, animals, beings, starve--keeps populations in check. Since we humans have exempted ourselves from the laws of nature, we must find a way to keep our population-our birth rate-in check. If we don't, the earth will do it for us the hard way by running out of resources to sustain us. Then, mass starvation and suffering.
Now, if population growth rate is indeed the root cause, reducing it will solve the problem of overpopulation, and of ever-increasing need of food production. It would also help with the running out of limited resources.
Of course, the rate of population growth isn't simple to tackle either. But treating the symptoms without treating the disease is naive. It probably won't be pretty and equitable to everyone--the poor will probably suffer and the rich prosper, as it has ever been.
Kudos to Bourlag for easing suffering. But until people find a widely acceptable way of reducing population growth, making more efficient food production--or stealing still more habitat for the rest of Earth's creastures--does not affect and perhaps even worsens the larger problem. Starvation will always be a problem, regardless of increasing food production, until population growth is reduced.