WORLD POPULATION DAY
World
Population Day is on 11 July 1999. However, unlike Arbor Day, Water Week, Youth Day and
some other special theme days, few people will notice or pay any attention to Population
Day.
Population
growth continues at an alarming rate, yet we block our ears to the alarm. According to
recent population estimates, South Africa’s human population exceeds 41 million. As a
population increases it becomes increasingly difficult for the environment and the economy
to provide sufficient resources to sustain everyone. Non renewable resources become
depleted at an ever-increasing rate and sustainable resources are often abused to satisfy
short term needs and wants, making them unsustainable in many instances. In spite
of our superior intelligence, nature’s law of carrying capacities apply to us as much
as any other animal and plant on this planet: at some point the quantity and/or quality of
life of the population will decline. This may be a dramatic collapse, relative to the
extent that the environment has been degraded. With the continuous improvement of modern
technology we are able to produce more from less resources. The progress of agriculture,
mining extraction techniques, medical technology, means of travel, etc. are all very
impressive and most of us are indeed thankful for it. Have you ever paused to think how
often modern medicine has saved your life? In South Africa, 53% of the population receive
less than R301/month. Unemployment approaches 40%. Tragically, poverty is
self-perpetuating: because people are poor, they are prevented from ensuring that their
children have a better lot in life.
Fortunately
today there are many environmental and other pressure groups, each focussed on one or
another specific problem. Ironically, most or all of these are doomed to fail in their
mission because they are treating symptoms and not the real cause. Can you think of any
environmental problem that is not inextricably linked to our very high population -
habitat destruction, invasive alien species, water shortage, soil erosion, pollution, food
shortages, the destruction of the ozone layer, etc?
None of
these problems will be solved until the underlying cause is addressed. The only success we
may have will be to postpone the inevitable, not cancel it. Spare a thought for this on
Population Day!
Wayne Lotter, 12 Sentinel Rd, Howick, 3290
