Comments on: The Malthusians Strike Back

By: Global Warming and the Rise of the Neo-Malthusians – David Westerfield > Weblog

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:30:47 +0000

[...] This is a great explanation of Malthusianism and population control theories in light of environmentalism by Kevin DeYoung: The Malthusians Strike Back [...]

By: David Westerfield

David Westerfield — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:17:59 +0000

Well, they are trumpeting population control now at the conference … Headlines from the Drudgereport: “CHINA: Population control called key to deal”: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-12/10/content_9151129.htm … “The Real Inconvenient Truth”: http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=2314438

By: Andrew Hall

Andrew Hall — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:05:05 +0000

Please, any population ecologist knows that the human population of the world is still in a phase of rapid exponential growth (logistic growth). In fact, the human reproduction rate is increasing in third-world countries where resources are scarcest! Only when demand outstrips the available resources (food, space, water, etc.) will the human population reach its “carrying capacity.” Whoever said the world functions best at 3 billion doesn’t know his population dynamics. They’re simply playing a guessing game.

What we need is not Chinese style child-control, but people who are willing to reach out a helping hand to the third-world countries where resources are scarce. And if we keep producing fewer and fewer people in the West, where we have the knowledge and skills and resources to develop innovate technologies for food production, water sanitation, and disease control, THEN we might have a real crisis on our hands.

By: John Battenfield

John Battenfield — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:24:12 +0000

We are actually not, on a planetary scale, running out of food. Companies like Monsanto, who are patenting seeds and other life (that God holds the patent on), are aiming to seize a monopoly on the food supply, which will give them power and control over the masses. Eventually, only these few patented seeds will get planted. Without variety in breeding, these seeds will become victims of disease or parasites and die out. No more bananas. Oh and they’re looking to do the same with livestock, too.

For something more bizarre on population control, google “georgia guide stones.”

By: Joe Horn

Joe Horn — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:45:23 +0000

Kevin-This whole notion is one of the weirdest non-sequiturs in the history of thought, at least to me. I mean, their argument basically boils down to: let’s save the planet for our grandchildren, but let’s all agree now not to have any. If not for our children and grandchildren, then who, pray tell, are we to save the planet for? Are we to save it so that endangered mountain gorillas might enjoy the Congolese jungle unencumbered by African tribesmen? Speaking of which, a great deal of this line of thinking seems to me at least implicitly racist, since it is among the black, brown, and yellow parts of the world where these people are hoping for the greatest reductions. And how to achieve them? Nothing short of neo-Stalinism will make that happen. If they are serious they are either silly or deeply sick.

By: Abu Tulip

Abu Tulip — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:50:09 +0000

Part of the issue is who is having more children. Currently, many lands which are better suited to sustain large populations are seeing their populations shrink or about to shrink (population loss staved off temporarily by longer life spans). Meanwhile, many places like the Middle East and South / Central Asia are seeing rapid growth which will only accelerate, places which are not well-suited for large populations. The country in which I live has a very high birth rate and very inadequate water to sustain the coming population boom when all these children have children of their own. It’s not that people don’t have the means or knowledge to keep their families small; they don’t want to. Honor and community standing comes from having many children, particularly sons. That in itself is not the problem. The problem is they don’t give them adequate attention, so they become a bane on society.
Another problem is that even in some areas, the populations that are growing are people who aren’t integrating in the society and don’t share a love for freedom with their host society. I’m talking about Europe and its Muslim populations. It is quite possible that they could someday outnumber / outvote the native European population. They know it too.
So we really need to encourage Christians to have more children and invest time, attention and resources in them so they will make a blessing on their world.

Abu Tulip

By: Chasburge

Chasburge — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:59:37 +0000

What? I thought the zero-population folks had died off (pun intended).

Everyone knows that it is home schoolers who will inherit the earth

By: Those humanistic naysayers are at it again. « BarryDean 4 Christ

Those humanistic naysayers are at it again. « BarryDean 4 Christ — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:32:42 +0000

[...] now under the Gospel Coalition domain. Anyway, as I went to check out the new location I read his latest addition to the blog. The article is about a reincarnation of failed theories by Thomas Malthus resurfacing [...]

By: Thaddaeus Cadwell

Thaddaeus Cadwell — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:25:30 +0000

Bruce, I believe you are failing to see the point. The reason peoples predictions did not come true is because of human ingenuity. We have discovered ways of producing food with less land. And this trend, we should expect, and invest in, to continue. For instance whose not to say that in another 50 years our farms are in sky scapers. thus using less ground but still producing lots of food.
I do agree with you on the issue of being responsible concerning our vehicles,and not being wasteful. but on the issue of number of Children our command from God, which I believe is still in effect, is to be fruitful and multiply. I dont think two is gonna cut it.

By: David Westerfield

David Westerfield — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:04:29 +0000

By the way, great article. :]