Zero Population
Growthof Greater Boston
Zero Population
Growth
| Volume 7, Number 2 | March/April 1997 |
So you are for birth control?
Absolutely. It has to be publicized and promoted.
Some religious traditions are opposed to it.
That's right, even within Buddhism. But it's time to break down those barriers. Let's look at our attitude toward human life, since that's the issue. Even though subject to suffering, human life, in our eyes, is a precious phenomenon, because of the intelligence that animates us and that can rise in quality. From this standpoint birth control is pernicious, because it prevents human lives from existing.
From an individual point of view.
Exactly. Each individual is a marvelous opportunity. And abortion is a violent act, which we reject. But if we look at things from a certain distance, if we make an effort (which isn't easy) to achieve a global viewpoint, then we see quite simply that there are too many of us for this planet.
So it's not just human life that's threatened.
Of course not. The wild animals, the trees, everything has to give way to our precious lives.
Some fifteen years ago, I found myself in Mexico during the first visit of Pope John Paul II. On the eve of his arrival, a doctor friend had invited me to dinner. When I got to his house the woman who answered the door was crying. As I walked in, two or three others were weeping. I asked them why they were sad. My friend told me the Pope was saying everywhere: "Mexican men and women, you must have all the children that God sends you!" With a few phrases, this old man, a professional celibate, had just destroyed ten years of patient efforts on the part of those men and women of good will to introduce some basic elements of contraception into a country reeling from what American ecologists call the population bomb. This group of doctors had to begin all over again.
On the other side of the coin, in 1992 I found myself in Iran, an Islamic country, which we call fundamentalist, and to my great amazement I saw on the official government channel a TV show, presented by women, explaining and recommending contraception.
In Iran?
Yes, and I think the same thing exists in Egypt. It's the kind of information that the West doesn't like to broadcast. On that point we are behind the times.
In the United States, just as in Europe, we're even seeing a return to what you call the "moral order."
That's right. A return to censorship, to convulsive agitation by people who, for example, oppose abortion, a violent act, by even more violent acts. As if they wanted the impossible, namely to go backwards.
Could it be that life has become the enemy of life?
Human life, yes. Since it threatens all life.
On this point traditional thinking is scarcely any help.
No, because it dates from a time when human life was rare and much sought after. Many kinds of dangers lay in wait for it. Infants died at a young age. Today everything has changed, especially in the last fifty years.
The change in our thinking, and consequently in our attitudes, has to be just as radical.
You're not strictly attached to the letter of your scriptures?
On the contrary. You'd have to be crazy to maintain them with all your might in a world swept away by the movement of time. For example, if science shows that the scriptures are mistaken, the scriptures have to be changed.
For centuries the Catholic Church fought a long and sterile fight to safeguard the historical truth of the Bible, even in the fact of scientific discoveries. That must seem absurd to you?
Useless, in any case, since Buddhism tells us exactly the opposite. It's a central theme, which all the schools accept: We are willy-nilly plunged into impermanence...
Sometimes it seems to me that the Pope (with his stance against birth control) would like to stop the wheel of this world.
The Pope, which is only normal, is directly influenced by the religious traditions that he represents. Thus he becomes attached to a principle: Human life being a precious good, the greatest number of people must benefit from it. But that runs counter to another principle, which is another form of respect for life, and not just human life. Yes, life is precious, but its quality has to be defended. So it's one principle against another. For us slavish obedience to a principle constitutes no choice at all. It seems to me that our intelligence is there precisely so that we can be flexible and adapt. Everything is relative. A blocked intelligence is not an intelligence. If I have to cut off one of my fingers to save the other nine, I don't hesitate. I cut it off...
It's true that humans are the only species with the power to destroy the Earth, but humanity also has the power to protect it.
But it's not taking that path. The river that flows through my village in the south of France was once a place of joy. Today it's polluted and abandoned. Even here, in Dharamsala, I was surprised while walking in the forest to see piles of dirty papers, tin cans, plastic.
That's the contribution of the Tibetan community!
Yesterday, near the hotel, I saw a group of Tibetan children playing very noisily. Their game consisted of pulling all the trash out of a garbage can and throwing it in all directions. I stopped, I wondered: What are they doing? Why?
They're seven or eight years old. They were born into a garbage can world. For them nature is full of plastic. That's how it is, they never saw it the way it was before. They don't know that the world used to be beautiful. The very notion of beauty may be something they'll never experience.
Then what should we do?
All we have is education. It's our only weapon, along with the example we can set. And this education, from the Buddhist viewpoint, begins with the notion of interdependence. Everything depends on everything else. The life of those children you saw playing is directly bound up with the dirty paper they snatch out of the garbage cans. This has to be said and explained; above all, it has to be proved.
It's a long task.
Yes, an everyday task, that will never be finished. But that's the price we have to pay for our survival and for the quality of our survival. This shared awareness is essential if we want to improve, however little, our own attitude toward the world, our own relationship with it. We must overcome the isolation of our mind, we must renew our ties with the rest of the universe. Otherwise we are lost. Lost because separate. We have to show people, indefatigably, that our interest is the interest of others, that our future is the future of others. And when I say "others," I'm not just thinking of human beings. I'm thinking of all the other forms of life, on this Earth and outside this Earth.
So it's not a question of feelings, nor of morality?
It's first of all a fact. Now the fact is that we have only one Earth, that it is our common mother, and that any harm we do it necessarily strikes back at us. If we don't pay attention to the Earth, we are destroying our own future.
Can we still save it?
Of course. Beginning with birth control, which must be promoted as quickly as possible. Along with that, yes, we can clear the rivers and the soil and the air we breathe. Yes, we can do it. It's up to us. And this isn't a question of feelings or morality. It's our future that's at stake...
This passage first appeared in the "New Age Journal", December 1995 and was part of a longer segment printed from Violence and Compassion: Conversations with the Dalai Lama, edited by Jean-Claude Carriere.
Submitted by Peter Lisbon
Brownlash refers to the attempts to minimize the seriousness of environmental problems by greatly distorting what is or is not known by environmental scientists and thus helps to fuel a backlash against "green" policies.
This anti-science sentiment has acquired an unfortunate aura of credibility Although some of the believers are well-intentioned individuals who have bought into this notion that environmental regulation has become oppressive, the most troubling are those who act as "authorities" of the scientific community claiming to represent scientific findings. But, in fact, they distort the facts to support their own biases that the U.S. Government has gone overboard with regulation and that environmental problems are greatly overblown or nonexistent:
Although Americans are fairly well-informed about environmental problems in their own backyard, there is little concern for the less visible and slower changes: there is more concern for the violent storms rather than gradual increases in temperature. Threatened species of mammals are featured on TV, but why do critical loses of insect populations, vital to our life support systems, go unnoticed?
The focus of attention is on the obvious and immediate. Those people who have no meaningful way to grasp regional and global environmental problems cannot easily tell what information is distorted, and if so, to what degree: Population growth does not cause environmental damage and may even be beneficial!
ZPG Reporter has a complete review of this book in the March-April issue.
Dan Bloom has been a constant yet friendly thorn, always helping me to put things into perspective. As Treasurer, he keeps the money and the books as well.
Walter Branson, our current Vice Chair, spearheaded efforts on the 2-child pledge and our recent "Pop Quiz" newspaper advertisement. He has also impressed us with his letters published in the Boston Globe, including one last October in Focus and his preceding letter in July with its eye-catching graphic-pregnant-lady illustration! His work has been an inspiration to us all.
Howie Breinan, one of our newer members, has taken the initiative to coordinate many of our Chapter activities. He is responsible for making our Chapter visible to the Environmental Roundtable and he is currently focusing his attention on ZPG's plans to participate in the upcoming Earth Day events on the Esplanade. Last fall, Howie established our new Letters Committee which provides the resources and encouragement to members who are interested in writing to editors and legislators. (see page 6)
Frances Cameron has been active in ZPG/Boston even in the days of the original local chapter of the 1970s. Her work on staffing booths, distributing our newsletter and providing ideas and historical perspective have been a real help in our work.
Barbara Clapp is the resurrection of our newsletter and, perhaps, of our Chapter. As editor, Barbara helps to keep us all informed and engaged.
Chris Conty, as our Secretary, has helped us manage our history and our direction. That consistency has been a big help.
Annie Faulkner, another new activist, has become a real influence on both our operation and on a regional vision. We welcome her leadership in the Chapter and her involvement in establishing the New England Coalition for a Sustainable Population.
Nels Frye, a high-school student, has begun the process of personal activism very unlike most young (or older) people. Nels' activities and energy may become a model for our work of the future.
Phil Morse has been our Chapter's most prolific letter writer over the years; he has been consistent for a long time. His letters in the Boston Globe have been in the Sunday Focus as well as the weekday editions and have made thousands of people think about the population connection for the first (and even fifth) time.
Frank O'Brien, also not often seen, has been working behind the scenes to get Radio and TV to consider population issues.
Don Rivard, seen less often than we wish now, played a pivotal role in so many of our activities. Pam Sinotte is not seen too often, but has been with us through the years in spirit and in booth organizing and staffing.
Greg Wilcox, while now living near Washington DC, remains a real supporter. Perhaps his biggest contribution is the creation of our Web pages. Greg continues doing that even from his new home.
While no longer active, I'd like to mention Ken Jager, Ted Treadwell, Howard Goldsmith and Susan Bryant. These past Chairs made significant contributions (Susan now works for ZPG/National in the Pop Ed Department). The above recognition only scratches the surface, but the activities of these people and others who follow will always make us what we are. No, it's not enough. But it's the grassroots that will make population awareness hit mainstream. It's people like these that will make that happen. Inspired? Give Me A Call! Unmoved? Give me a call too!
Mike Hanauer
Barbara Clapp, Editor is
on-line at
b.clapp@valley.net
Instead, ZPG plans to participate in the WBOS Earth Day event on the Esplanade on Saturday, April 26. Most likely this will entail staffing a booth and disseminating information, including educational packets to children. Information on this activity should be arriving shortly from WBOS and will be presented at the March 17 Boston Chapter meeting. Anyone interested in participating, please touch base with Howie Breinan by calling 617/225-8905 or by e-mail: breinan@alumni.stanford.edu
by Greg Wilcox
Yesterday was very busy! I joined with a group of 8-10 lobbyists (the size varied as the day progressed). Most of us were from ZPG, but some were from the Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation. We were there as part of ZPG's first annual Population Lobby Days event, attempting to restore funding cuts for international family planning. In all, over 125 people attended the event.
We went to the offices of Representatives Wolf, Moran and Davis and Senators Warner and Robb of VA. In general, we were well received. Typically, we talked to an aid who was very sympathetic and very well informed on the issues. There were two exceptions. Warner's office claimed that we had no appointment and could not meet with us. At Wolf's office, we actually did not have an appointment until Tuesday; however, they agreed to see us anyway. After keeping us waiting for about half an hour, his aid spoke with us in the hallway. She claimed that Rep. Wolf was strongly in favor of family planning, but that he supports the Mexico agreement. Once these restrictions are re-implemented, he is willing to restore funding.
As we know by now, the Senate approved by 53 to 46 the early release of $385 million for Inernational Family Planning. The House approved the release by a vote of 220 to 209.
Published in National Parks, the Magazine of the National Parks and Conservation Association in the November-December 1996 issue.
We will meet at the home of Mary Van Vleck, 146 Chestnut Circle in Lincoln. DIRECTIONS: Rt. 2 West from Boston, cross 128/95 and continue for 31/2 mi where Rt. 2 makes a very sharp left by a Mobil Station. In another mile turn left again at the light onto Rt. 126 South. Drive by Walden Pond; in 3.2 miles will come to a light where Rt. 117 intersects. Stay on Rt. 126 for another 0.4 mile and turn right onto Farrar Road. Travel 0.6 mile, keeping to the right, and turn right again onto Kettle Hole Drive which takes you into the condominium complex. Bear right at the Y and go over a speed bump. Take first left onto Chestnut Circle and the next right at the "141-146" sign. Mary is at the end of the block on the right. PARKING IS LIMITED. Be prepared for a three minute walk. CAR POOL if you can or call Mary for directions by train; it's very simple and someone will pick you up at the station. Her phone is 617/259-9828.
Please RSVP to Mike: 781/862-5927 or MGHanauer@alumni.uml.edu
Please see the meeting schedule for general information and other meeting dates.
