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More important, measuring population growth as a percentage of some base is, in many cases, not useful; it is the added number of people which adds to our problems. Let’s illustrate how a “percentage argument” can be--and often is--misused by enablers of our population growth addiction.
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CHAPTER 2: OVERVIEW
How Large A World Problem?
Imagine a container designed to hold ten gallons of gasoline. Your car is out of gasoline so you take the empty ten-gallon container from your trunk, go to a service station, and ask for five gallons of gasoline.
The attendant puts five gallons of gasoline in your container, then asks, “Wouldn’t you like me to add two gallons more?”
You say, “I think five gallons will be sufficient.”
With a smile the attendant says, “Well, two gallons more will only be 40% more.”
Not wanting to argue, you say, “OK.”
Then the attendant asks, “Why don’t I go ahead and add two more gallons?”
You say, “Well, that will make the container heavier to carry.”
He says, “Yes, but only 28.5714% heavier.” (Just your luck--a math savant pumping gasoline.)
Finally, he says, “Let me add another two gallons--that will only be 22% more.”
Unfortunately, he just tried to pour 11 gallons of gasoline into a 10-gallon container and we all know what that can lead to. Likewise, with world population, if we pour nine billion people into a--let’s say--four or five billion people world, we should not be surprised when there is an explosion. |
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©2006 Edward C. Hartman. All Rights Reserved
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