The writer of the May 18 letter, "Fewer people equals fewer social problems," asked if he was missing something about resource distribution. He raised issues of religion and population -- specifically, how some religions discourage birth control even when there aren't adequate resources for a particular group to survive.
Doubtless he's right that we need a more robust conversation on the issue. We have been conscious of the issue at least since 1798, when Thomas Malthus wrote that the population was growing too fast for the food supply. Malthus' proposed solution was late marriage and sexual abstinence for poor people. We do well to distrust those solutions, as well as the ideas of those who are certain they know how much is too much for the Earth to hold.
My question, and I echo others, is not how many people can share the Earth, but whether we can find any way of sharing it at all.
It is true that many wars are fought over resources, but that tells us less about resource scarcity than about man's willingness to fight over them. I suspect if there were only two people living on Earth there might yet be wars over resources. Besides, conflicts have a way of using up tremendous resources very quickly, as we're finding with every passing day our troops are in Iraq.
But it isn't just war. People need to eat. Here again, population is only part of the problem. Actually, there is enough food -- with more to spare. Many of us go to bed every night with food in the cupboard. It is not that there is too little food on the planet but that many people, too many, do not have access to it. It's not just because there are too many to feed but because there are too many poor governments, short-sighted economies, and poor people.
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The Earth can scarcely support us all if we must have wasteful lives. But other factors must be considered. The crunch at the gas pumps we're now experiencing has less to do with evil oil companies (though I should never wish to defend them) than the fact that more people in China and India are finally, and thankfully, making enough to enjoy the benefits of fossil fuels. More money means more expensive gas, but in this case it is not a cut-and-dried matter of too many people and too few resources.
There is much to recommend the American way of life, but we can do much, much better in using resources efficiently. For example, some 10 percent of household energy is expended on appliances on standby. A microwave to heat food takes some energy, but that little clock kept running 24/7 uses more energy in a year than nuking all the frozen burritos you could eat. California already has undertaken legislation to compel manufacturers to lessen the drain of appliances on standby. There are countless other ways to maintain much of our lifestyle and at the same time save resources for others and future generations, though we may find in time that much in our lifestyles needs changing, too.
Still, if current trends continue, according to the United Nations, world population will stabilize and then begin shrinking around 2080. Life expectancy is already increasing worldwide, and births per woman is decreasing. We may eventually live in a world that has more old people than young. This is the culmination of an incredible shift in attitudes toward life -- not all of which are positive, not all of which are negative. For example, children represent more than competition for resources. Though trite to say, children are the future. That we are moving toward a society with fewer children should be obvious to us in Duluth as we contemplate the closing and consolidating of schools. Though changing demographics and ways of life represent hope for many in the world, a shrinking world population, in the long run, may test our reserves of hope. It depends where you live; it depends who you are.
Still, it may not matter at all how many people live on the Earth. It may be capable of supporting the needs of far more people than ever will inhabit it. What will always matter, however, is whether we can find a way of sharing the Earth. The study and practice of good politics is as urgent as ever. We may not do much better than the United States Constitution, especially if we recognize its rights and privileges belong to all people. In the meantime, we do well to continue conversing about our changing ways of life.
David Gore of Duluth is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
