gg3 wrote:
BTU, what measures do you think are realistic (rather than extremist or naive) given the short time frame available?
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I'm quite serious about the proposals I posted, including snipping everyone at age 12 and requiring a permit in order to make a baby. It's not posturing. I'm a geek, I wouldn't know how to posture if you gave me an illustrated instruction.
That stuff is downright mild compared to what Ma Nature has in store for us if we don't. See also Iraq, Somalia, Darfur.
gg3,
Thanks for the excellent post. It's a pleasure to get back on topic.
I agree with the points you make above. I think that any measures, initially, should start with incentives and taxation
(including along the lines you proposed) and possibly fines in some parts of the third world (where education is low, tax collection is poor and the political system is authoritarian). One also needs intensive propaganda through all media, saturating the public with awareness of the problems we are facing and we'll likely face; this will require government pressure. Among incentives I would mention universally available free contraception, family planning clinics etc.
Increasing women's education and rights as the UN is already doing is crucial, and should be intensified and funded MUCH better than it is now. It should be viewed as an emergency and high priority. A propaganda campaign must be launched/intensified in certain third world countries.
I agree with making foreign aid and funding conditional of implementing meaningful population control/reduction schemes, and on reforming tax codes to account for environmental and resource costs.
One also has to deal with the objections of religious leaders. This could be done by encouraging "stewardship" interpretations of religious texts. One can achieve it by directing funding appropriately and by challenging the "grow and multiply" paradigm; also by exposing the suicidal character of the ideas of the "multiply" schools. This will be extremely difficult to achieve especially regarding Islam and Hinduism.
All of this would be the first step, likely to be politically feasible as the crisis becomes serious.
In the rich/developing world, taxation would be key (also for dealing with the general resource/environmental problems). One must reform the tax system such as to fully include all social and environmental externalities of major human activities, including that of having children. This would ensure that everyone pays the full price for the environmental, social and resource damage created his decisions.
As the crisis progresses, more serious measures might become necessary and politically acceptable.
Btu