The "Sucker" Punch of the Overpopulation Myth

Kevin Roeten

‘Overpopulation’ has been drilled into our heads. But a careful look at what’s really happening to the world’s populations is shocking. UN’s Long-Range World Population Project predicts ‘stabilization’(zero growth) by 2200. The scary part is that after 2200 total numbers get smaller[www.worldonline], and we know why.

Population since ‘0’ A.D.(Durand) actually looks like a giant ‘bell curve’ that peaks in 2200. But no growth is predicted by 2200. UN figures show 79 countries that have 40% of the world’s population now have fertility rates too low to prevent population decline. Worldwide, the number of children a typical woman had fell from 5(1950-55) to less than 3(1990-95), the number necessary just to ‘replace’.

Joseph D’Agostino(VP/ Population Research Institute) admits that Americans’ birthrate is now lower than even the 1960’s. In the first time since China’s Great Famine, rising death rates are slowing world population growth. Declining birthrates are resulting from abortion, fertility rates, AIDS, and contraception. In sub-Saharan Africa, the HIV virus, barring a medicinal miracle, will kill over ¼ of the adult population in the next decade. For instance, in Zimbabwe the life expectancy has fallen from 61 years(1993) to 49 years(2000)[www.enerspace.com]. Fertility rates have dropped everywhere, and Population Reference Bureau cites South Korea, Japan, Kenya, and Ghana as some of the worst cases. In addition, many governments sterilize and abort citizens by force. This occurs with assistance of the UN, US, and government supported agencies(i.e., Planned Parenthood).

According to Dr. Jacqueline Kasun, economist and author of The War Against Population, both the US and UN have promoted sex education in schools. They teach that there are far too many people in the world, and that abortion, sterilization, and contraception are necessary to reduce excessive population growth. Kasun also reiterates several ‘alleged’ myths:

Myth #1: “Population growth is adding overwhelming numbers of humans to a small planet.” In fact, even though we cluster together to exchange goods and services, humans occupy only 1-3% of the earth’s land surface. If you allotted 1250 ft2 to each person, all the people in the world would fit into the state of Texas. But forecasts of eventual world population size have been steadily falling. In 1992, the World Bank predicted 10 billion by the year 2050. In 1996, the UN predicted 9 billion. If the observed trend continues, the next estimate will be much lower.

Myth #2: “Overpopulation is Causing Global Warming.” In fact, 79 scientists issued the “Leipzig Declaration” saying “…there does not exist today a general scientific consensus about…greenhouse warming.” It’s interesting that many respected climatologists vigorously dispute a global warming danger.

Myth #3: “Overpopulation causes ozone depletion.” Actually there’s enough information here for a whole column, but S. Fred Singer(atmospheric physicist) calls the ozone scare a “misuse of science”.

Myth #4: “The world’s forests are disappearing because of overpopulation”. In fact, annual forest growth today is more than 3.5x what it was in 1920. Now, trees are growing 33% faster than they are being cut.

Myth #5: “Air pollution is the result of overpopulation, and acid rain, a byproduct of air pollution, is destroying lakes, rivers, and forests.” Actually in the US, air pollution is declining significantly. The National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program recently reported “no widespread forest or crop damage in the US” related to acid rain.

Myth #6: “Many plants and animals are disappearing because of the growth in human numbers.” This claim has no scientific data whatsoever to support it. Actually, some species such as blue whales, spotted owls, and black footed ferrets have been found to be more numerous than was once thought.

Myth #7: “Overpopulation is threatening the world’s food supply.” According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, world food supplies exceed requirements in all areas.

Myth #8: “Overpopulation is the chief cause of poverty.” Problems are almost always due to bad economic policy. The Ethiopian famine, for instance, was caused by its government confiscating the food stocks of traders and farmers and exporting them to buy arms.

Myth #9: “Overpopulation causes war and revolution.” The most war-torn continent on earth—Africa—is also one of the least densely populated.

We know the facts, and what the probable outcome is if we stay the course of eliminating ‘overpopulation’. But wasn’t God the one who told us to “…be fruitful and multiply.”? If He actually was God, He would know if overpopulation would ever become a problem. Instead, we choose a course of abortion, conception, and sterilization. Depressingly, the US gives over $3 billion a year to the UN.

We’ve slid down a slippery slope so long that we’re used to it. It’ll be too late when we read about imploding population decline in the newspapers. One would have thought that failure to ‘connect the dots’ would have only happened once…

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As a Chemical Engineer, I love politics, and am an orthodox Catholic. I am a "Guest Columnist"('Asheville Citizen-Times'), a regular columnist(North Carolina Conservative), and a contributor to the book "Americans on Politics, Policy, and Pop Culture". Politics are usually covered with a skew from a Catholic perspective.

roetenks@charter.net