THE CROWDED PLANET ZERO POPULATION GROWTH OF GREATER BOSTON Volume 9, Issue 5 September/October 1999

Table Of Contents

Editorially Speaking

To paraphrase the mediocre comic's line, "I know you're out there; I can hear you surfing."

As your new editor with only one issue under my belt, I am quite curious about your opinion. What did you think of the July/August newsletter? I have heard no opinions so far from anyone. That must mean you either loved it or hated it. Which is it?

In particular, what do you think of the new name? The new masthead? The format for the table of contents? The articles themselves? Please let me know your thoughts on these (or any other) issues at gwilcox@charter.net.

You have probably also received a print edition of the newsletter. In last month's column, I said that there would not be one. But that was before I found out about Microsoft Word's Newsletter Wizard. This handy gadget lets you create a ready-made newsletter template. It even lets you choose any one of three styles: Professional, Contemporary, and Elegant. With the Wizard, I was able to easily create a respectable looking newsletter. I will continue to do this with future issues as time permits.

However, I continue to encourage any of you to step forward and volunteer for the job. Believe me, it's not difficult if you know how to use Word. It just takes some time. You have to replace the template articles with real ones, and update the table of contents. You also have to make some decisions about page layout and article continuations. If you're interested, please call me at 828-665-7531 or email me at the address above.

The comment was made that our Editorial Guidelines are overbearing, draconian, and dictatorial. I hope you read them the way they were intended—with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Although I did make a laundry list of my pet peeves, I was only half serious. Language is a dynamic thing. It evolves and changes over time. Words flow and grow, and take on new meanings. Many of my preferences have become anachronisms. I recognize that, as well as your right to express yourself in any way you see fit. Please don't be discouraged from submitting articles (or poems or illustrations or cartoons or anything else) just because of my didactic bombast (and who the heck knows what that means?)

Lastly, a technical note. The print edition of this newsletter contains several underlined words or phrases. These underlines indicate that the online edition has a hyperlink there. If demand warrants, we could publish a list of the links' web addresses. Or you may find them distracting, in which case please let us know and we'll remove them.

Amusing Nuclear Scientists

Dear Editor:

The article on page 3 of last Saturday's Globe entitled Unraveling the Riddle of the Roads was very funny. In it the writer, Alan Sipress, described how nuclear scientists have turned their attention to more pressing problems like trying to figure out why the roads have become so much more crowded. Using the world's fastest supercomputer, they are attempting to apply "natural laws to the flow of cars along a highway." These scientists, according to the article, believe "they are closer to comprehending the birth of the universe than the daily tie-ups along the interstate."

VERY FUNNY.

It does not take a nuclear scientist to figure out why the roads are so crowded. The roads are so crowded because the population since the construction of the Bourne Bridge pictured in the article has more than doubled, and the number of cars has tripled. Ha, ha. A nuclear scientist cannot see that! They are busy breaking down the molecules into their respective parts. They can't see the forest for the trees.

There are six billion people on Earth right now, (US Census Bureau), twice as many as existed on Earth forty years ago. Things are going to get a lot worse if we wait for "the century's sharpest minds" to figure out what is wrong.

Jeff Herman
82 Chestnut Ave.
Boston, MA 02130
(617) 522-6324

A New Agricultural Revolution?

The July 11 front-page story Tinkering With The DNA On Your Dinner Plate suggests that there is a new agricultural revolution coming. I hope we have learned something from the last one. The Green Revolution after World War II could have ended poverty and starvation, but it failed. All we got from it was more population growth with little change in the rates of poverty and starvation in the undeveloped economies. And the developed economies are already grossly overpopulated by consuming an obscenely disproportional share of resources. Without simultaneously stopping population growth, a new agricultural revolution will only be making a bad situation worse. We live in a finite world, so there is a limit to how many people the world can support, and food is only one of the constraints. We've demonstrated that new technology cannot end poverty and starvation without the political will to simultaneously stop population growth through education and birth control.

Phil Morse
ZPG of Greater Boston

Note: In Technology We Trust is an article that expands on the ideas in this letter. It has not been edited by The Crowded Planet.

India's Population Time Bomb

The current issue of Free Inquiry magazine (Spring 1999 - Volume 19, Number 2) has an article titled India's Population Time Bomb - A Neohumanist Response, by Paul Kurtz. The premise of the article is that human population growth is a critical humanist concern, due to the stresses it places on both humanity and the environment. In particular, the author notes the urgent need for family planning services in developing countries. In Kurtz' words: "Humanists need to persuade their fellow citizens - religious and nonreligious alike - that there is a compelling need to provide contraceptive information to the developing world." He cites the Christian Coalition and the Vatican as the prime opponents of progress toward this goal.

Kurtz recently returned to India after a 20 year absence. He was appalled at how much conditions had worsened since his last visit. Pollution and poverty are everywhere; major cities are rapidly decaying. And yet the country's population continues to grow at 1.7% per year. Kurtz attributes this to "religious superstitions that permeate Indian culture, the intolerable repression of women, and the continuance of the caste system, in spite of efforts to prohibit it." He also points out that religious fundamentalism is on the rise.

Kurtz maintains that a concern for all humans worldwide should be a fundamental principle of humanism. In his words, "we have a responsibility to care about each and every person in the planetary community, and ... this obligation should extend beyond our own societies to humanity as a whole." He elaborates by defining our responsibilities in detail. These include "the need to support family planning efforts, to improve nutrition and health, to advance programs of modern education, to protect the environment, and to encourage foreign capital investments in new industries."

I agree wholeheartedly with most of the items on his list. However, the last one troubles me. If by 'new industries' he means locally based, ecologically responsible, and long-term sustainable enterprises, then I concur. However, foreign investors are usually only concerned about ROI (return on investment). Environmental impact, if they deem it important at all, is usually far down the list.

July Meeting Minutes

The July meeting of the Greater Boston Chapter of ZPG was held at the Nate Smith House in Jamaica Plain, MA on July 26, 1999 at 8:00 PM. Present were nine members, three of whom were new. The main purpose of this meeting was to discuss plans for October 12, 1999, Y6B day. Following is a list of the items and issues that were discussed.

1. Welcome and description of ZPG by Jeff Herman, the chapter chairman. Introductions of members present.
2. Announcement of the next meeting at Walden Pond in Concord, MA at 10:30AM. This will be an outdoor event, to include a potluck picnic.
3. Jeff encouraged everyone to raise awareness for ZPG and its cause by calling in to radio shows or writing 'letters to the editor'. He showed a recent letter that he had written to the Boston Globe regarding the state's purchase of several SUVs for use by public officials. The irony of this purchase is that the public officials work for the Executive Offices of Environmental Affairs and Public Safety, organizations that obviously should not advocate dangerous, gas guzzling SUVs. Writing a letter to the Boston Globe is easy; you can send it via email to letter@globe.com. Just remember to include your name and phone number. Incidentally, the Globe publishes some article related to overpopulation almost every day.
4. The group talked about the current passive nature of ZPG, and raised the question of what it can do to become more aggressive. Quinacrine was brought up as something that ZPG should advocate in its cause to curb population growth. It is an anti-malaria drug for, but it induces sterility in women. It is cheap to manufacture in pill form, easy to use, and very effective in causing sterility.
5. Henry Barbaro talked about his friend Jay Nelson, an expert in advertising. Jay helped with International Population Development Day several years ago by designing ads and posters. He is willing to help out again for Y6B day, provided that ZPG informs him of 1) a description of the day: what's happening? and 2) the purpose of the day: what are we going to do and what do we want people to do? After all, we have designated a Y2K day to make as many people as possible stop and realize how crowded the world is. Henry also talked about "Target TV." For example: doing a spot on the Discovery Channel to tell people who might actually understand, care, and do something about Y6B day.
6. Begin discussing Y6B day publicity.
1. The major project underway is a giant banner to be placed near rush hour traffic on Oct. 12, 1999. The slogan on the banner intends to jolt the rush hour commuter into realizing "Damn, the world is crowded!" Several ideas for the slogan were proposed. One is a take on the signs on Storrow Drive; this slogan is "If it weren't so crowded, you'd be home by now." Another is "Honk if you think the world is too crowded!"
2. Another suggestion is a parade or protest march on Beacon Hill, which can include a rally regarding the quality of life issue.
3. A Site Selection Committee was formed. Sharon Wilcox and Jeff Herman will explore sites to display the Y6B Day banner.
7. Call for volunteers to help table for the Sierra Club at the Lillith Fair on August 4, 1999 in CT.
8. Jeff handed out flyers for Voices for Thoreau's Wild New England.
9. Discussion of a ZPG table at the Freedom Rally (a.k.a. Hemp Fest) to be held in Boston on 9/18/99. The table is intended for informational purposes only; however, some members felt wary of being associated with the legalization of marijuana campaign. Therefore, a motion was proposed: Should ZPG participate in the Freedom Rally? Participation will require that 3-4 people maintain a ZPG table during the Freedom Rally. A vote was taken; the tally was four in favor and five opposed, so ZPG will not have a table at the Rally.
10. Discussion of a membership drive occurred.
11. More discussion of ZPG publicity. Jeff is scheduled to appear on the radio as well as in various schools. He encouraged members to talk to their local educational institutions about holding an assembly or other such event, and he would be glad to give a talk.

Luncheon Address to Congressional Women’s Caucus

The complete statement is 37 paragraphs, and four printed pages in length. You can view it online at the following World Wide Web address: http://www.unfpa.org/about/ed/1999/washington99.htm

The Population Train Versus the Growth Juggernaut

Recently, the Greater Boston chapter of ZPG held its annual elections. Most of the winners were newcomers. This in itself is a good thing, since new blood helps re-invigorate an organization.

However, many of the departing officers possess a wealth of hard-earned experience. These lessons need to be summarized and transmitted to the new leadership. Otherwise, the chapter will waste valuable time re-learning them the hard way. We have the chance now, before they depart, to solicit their honest feedback—without judgment or censorship.

Feedback is always useful, whether positive or negative. In either case, it has a centering effect. (Not ‘centering’ as in stuck in the middle, but on course and moving steadily. In the language of physics, constant direction and velocity.) Positive feedback is good, because it helps keep momentum going. Negative feedback is perhaps the more important of the two, since it prevents the train from veering off the track.

That certainly applies in this case. Our departing officers are among the most dedicated activists in the entire population movement. Because of them, our chapter has consistently been one of the most effective of the ZPG chapters. Without their wisdom, we could easily go off-track and not even realize it. We might start doing things all wrong, spinning our wheels and wasting effort.

We are presently at the nexus between old and new. The new offers the chance at a fresh start. And the old offers a knowledge base gleaned from years of hard work by serious, committed activists. Now is the ideal time to tap into their insight. If nobody thought to ask, we might ask ourselves why. Are we listening? Are we even willing to listen?

Some say that the pop-advocacy “train”—in greater Boston, throughout New England, and nationally—is indeed more or less derailing. They think that growth has become virtually unstoppable. If so, those of us who soldier on don't want to hear it. We think it means admitting defeat, and so we feel guilty for not having done enough to stop it.

But we must be realistic. Can ZPG (or any population organization) really prevent this outcome? Can anyone? Perhaps we all share in the blame.

The only thing that might prevent further growth is if the world, or at least the continent, experiences cataclysmic disruptions. But to have this effect, these disruptions would have to be of such scope as to be nearly as undesirable as (expected) 21st-century overpopulation. Perhaps we can mitigate the negative consequences of overpopulation, or transmute them into more palatable forms. Those who believe it can be done will certainly want to try. Nearly everyone's voice is capable of helping to exert such influence! But at this point, there is nothing we as individuals can do to stop the population juggernaut.

This unstoppability makes essentially all population activism more or less quixotic. So how does that affect folks like us, who do still want to keep promoting anti-growth, pro-environment, pro-justice, and pro-quality-of-life behaviors and policies? It narrows our choices of possible involvement. Before committing to any activism campaign, we ask tough questions. Does it allow for a good balance of effectiveness and efficiency with respect to how I need to live my life? And more important, will it drive me crazy?

Perhaps that is the reason for the turnover of the old guard. For some of them, ZPG might no longer meet these two criteria. They may not know themselves exactly why this is. All they know is that they gave it their best effort for a very long time. They believed they were taking the most effective approach, both for themselves and within the organization. And yet somehow they didn't accomplish what they set out to do.

One possible explanation is that they sensed something missing from the total picture, even if they couldn't articulate it. Maybe what they want to ask is “what happens afterwards?” We are so intent on the task at hand that we forget we might actually succeed. Then what? We're like the political campaign team that doesn't know where to go after election night. In other words, we have no exit strategy.

Exit strategies are crucial, and the lack of one can be devastating. A well known example: after World War I, the U.S. packed up its bags and went home to celebrate. We ignored the fact that we had left much of Europe in ruins, smoldering with resentment. Out of this ire arose Hitler and the Third Reich. After World War II, we avoided making the same mistake twice. Truman’s Marshall Plan restored not just infrastructure, but goodwill as well.

World growth rates have peaked, and many pundits are pointing to the trend as evidence that the problem of overpopulation is solved. Those who have studied the issue come to a different conclusion. They realize that the seeds of ecological collapse have already been sown. Even if the growth rate suddenly went to zero, we will still struggle for many decades under the cumulative impact of six billion people. And with one billion people just now reaching their reproductive years, that number is virtually guaranteed to go up. So the real question is, how do we deal with that?

The population movement has long advocated the use of humane and compassionate methods to slow growth rates. Our main tools are education and empowerment, and they work. As long as they do, this will be our main focus. At the same time, however, it would help to understand how we got here in the first place. Unless we do, we run the clear risk of having it happen all over again. As George Santayana famously said, “Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it.”

Elizabeth Dodson Gray, in her book Green Paradise Lost, suggests that much of the reason has to do with our hierarchical model for the spiritual and physical world. She draws a pyramid depicting the following categories, in descending order: God, men, women, children, animals, plants, and nature. Each category has dominion over the ones below.

Whether we realize it or not, most of us are still operating by this worldview. We fail to recognize that it is outmoded, dangerous, and fundamentally incorrect. Men continue to exploit women, expecting unlimited fertility and obedience. Men also continue to treat their children as personal property, to be used for whatever ends fit their desires. Men raise animals for food under unspeakably inhumane conditions, and nonchalantly murder their wild cousins in the name of sport. Men have even learned to manipulate plants, first by hybridization and monoculture, and now with biotechnology. Nature itself forms the ignominious base of this pyramid: the most contemptible and defenseless of all.

We need to understand that we are all parts of a whole, and all interconnected. Everything depends in a literal and immediate way on everything else. Nothing is inherently “above” or “below”; the hierarchical ordering is an artificial intellectual construct. Any hierarchies exist only in limited contexts. For any given hierarchy, a countervailing context can be found in which the order is different, and perhaps even reversed.

Everyone has heard the humorous fable about the feud between various parts of the human body. The heart, lungs, liver, and brain all get their turn to speak. Each one proclaims proudly why it is the most important. In case you don't know the surprise ending, I won't reveal it here. Suffice it to say that every organ has its usefulness.

So it is with the world at large. Even the most meek and humble among us has a vital role to play. If we can teach this simple truth, there is a good chance that the train will stay on track for a long time to come.

Next Meeting

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
-- Henry David Thoreau

It is advisable that one arrive no later than 11:00 AM. The parking lot is usually full by 12, and the park rangers limit the number of people entering once the parking lot is full.

Please see the meeting schedule for general information and other meeting dates.