A Look at the Issue of Human Population

I just read Dan Brown's latest offering Inferno and I loved it. The way he combines history and art and beauty with real world issues and the fast past scavenger hunt is truly masterful.

I particularly appreciate his subject matter this time around which is what I consider to be the global elephant in the room, our ever increasing human population. We are so busy trying to extend lives and save everyone that we tend to overlook the simple fact that this planet can only sustain so much human life which is no different from any other life form.

I have long been pondering this interesting unfolding of population growth but like so many others I imagine, I have no idea really what to do about it so I don't tend to talk about it a lot. That may well be one of the reasons it isn't discussed more globally, we feel quite helpless in the face of the vastness of it. One thing we can do about it though is have the conversation, or at least start it. Let's take a real look at what is happening with the unchecked growth of the human population instead of burying our heads in the sand and pretending it isn't happening.

I live in an affluent community where we are used to having access to pretty much whatever we want especially in terms of food. I've been noticing in the past few months that certain produce items that I've taken for granted have not always been there when I go shopping. No big deal in and of itself but it is a reminder that here in the north we are very dependent on other areas of the world to supply much of our food, particularly produce.

In terms of population we are relatively small in number here in Canada so why would we care about it? Why not go ahead and have big families? Truth is most of us aren't any more, our growth is mainly through immigration today, but the fact still remains that we need to be just as responsible as anywhere else on the planet and maybe more so because of our vulnerability. We are consumers, in a big way, so we are using up resources far beyond what our numbers would indicate compared to most of the world.

And what of those many places in the world where population growth continues to skyrocket? There are organizations going in and trying to educate people about birth control but unfortunately those ideas often don't resonate with the cultures they are attempting to change. Then you have those well meaning religious missionaries who are also going in and telling people it is against God's will to use birth control. Really? Are they still doing that? Yes indeed, ignorance and religious zealotry by far trump the small efforts being made to effect change where it is most needed.

So that brings us back to where we started, even if we admit there is an issue with population what do we do about it? I don't know. But I'm willing explore it and to participate in the conversation and do what I can even if I end up being a lonely voice in the wilderness.

As with all things it starts with looking at our own perceptions and fears. When I started looking at what might be behind the lack of desire to deal with this issue I at first thought that it had something to do with we humans thinking we are so very important and more valuable than the rest of life on this planet. That may be what it looks like but it didn't take long to see through that illusion to the more likely scenario being lack of value. Trying so desperately to prove our value as a species is an indicator that under all the greed and despair and defensiveness and clinging to these bodies the real driver is a belief that we are not valuable at all.

When I look behind the curtain of belief in not being valuable what I see is the other mistaken belief that says we are our bodies. Oh you might like to protest that, thinking yourself so very spiritual but if you look closely, you will undoubtedly see how identified we really are to these organism. Why else would we be so desperate to stay in them at all cost? Of course the mechanism of survival is at play here but is it time now to evolve beyond survival? Is it time to be still and know that we are Life itself and face down the falsehoods that have really been driving us instead of just paying lip service to the idea?

Hmm, I wonder what might be possible then?

Let's talk. I would love to see your comments and thoughts on this issue.

Namaste