Something to say? e-mail me at: apegrrl@
rattlebrain.com

12/9/04 Can't Get There from Here
7/29/04 Political Speechmaking  
7/26/04 Words of Praise
6/22/04 Hygene and its Discontents
6/21/04 Summer Solstice -- Financial Fog
1/16/04 No Free Speech at Any Price
1/11/04 New Year's Notes, Cows and Bikes
11/18/03 Pull the Bull
10/20/03 Gardening Delights
8/26/03 Of Elves, Otters and SUVs
8/17/03 Great News on the Population Front
8/8/03 Energy Distribution in Iraq
5/14/03 Taxing Issues
4/20/03 Keeping Santa Cruz Weird
1/28/03 When the "A-Ha!" Moment Scares the Crap Out of You
11/10/02 Elfin Visions
11/2/02 Invisible Demons
5/15/02 Liquid Fuel from Sunlight, Seawater and Fresh Air

8/17/03

Great News on the Population Front

For more than a decade, I have been obsessing over population issues. This had me nervous even before global climate change issues made me chew my fingernails. Because, let's face it, even the worst of greenhouse gas emissions and industrial pollution and deforestation would be less of a threat to the world if there were only 100,000 humans creating demand for it. What's scary is that there are over 6 BILLION of us. Think of what happens if the 5.5 billion who currently have so much less than they want (in terms of refrigerators, cars, televisions, single-family homes with 5 bedrooms, etc.) start living like the most privileged 500 million of the Earth's inhabitants (that probably includes me and thee).

Now I'm the first to note that we'd be much better off if the privileged few discontinued all breeding (as my partner and I have). One of us does more damage than a dozen kids in rural Asia or Africa. But even if all North Americans and Europeans had one or no children, it simply isn't sufficient. The human population will have to drop if the majority are ever to enjoy lives at a quality above abject and desperate poverty.

So yes, I was elated to read about this new development: affordable, long-term, reversible, and apparently highly effective sterilization by injection for men. This is probably the best news I've heard all week. And you probably haven't heard about it. And, given the interests and power of the big pharmaceutical corporations, you quite possibly wouldn't have heard if not for the wonderful folks at Grist (and of course, yours truly).

I now have a more interactive space at my Xanga blog. I will work on adding each entry here to that site, and provide a link from each one here to each one there for now. Xanga will include more brief notes and personal ramblings. I still welcome your comments via e-mail (with your permission, I will post them). E-mail me at: apegrrl@ 
rattlebrain.com

or post a comment on my Xanga site

please feel free to spread these memes, but be nice and give credit where credit is due - refer people back here to the apegrrl This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

HOME | LINKS | MISSIONARIA PROTECTIVA

Created, written and maintained by
Michelle Y. Merrill / Spinneret Web Designs