Can Human Progress be Bad Thing?

Ted Folkert,
November 10, 2018

As we wallow in our pride and sense of superiority of our country as opposed to all of the other countries on the planet, we should consider some facts which we generally choose to avoid, ignore or perhaps of which we are unaware. Such facts about the future of the world population and the world economy can be not only revealing, but ego-deflating and reality-engaging, as we acquire a broader understanding of our place and our responsibility for the future of Planet Earth.

The International Monetary Fund has forecasted the position and current impact of the countries of the planet in terms of gross domestic product in the immediate future. They discuss what they call the New Economy, as opposed to the Old Economy, in which we have been a known world leader.

They discuss 155 countries which are home to 85% of the world’s population and 59% of global output. (The U.S. currently represents less than 3% of world population and, as of 2016, represents 20% or so of world output.)

These countries the IMF include, without listing all of them individually: Mexico, Central America, all of South America, all of Africa, all of Russia, China, India, the Middle East countries and adjacent countries in the Western Europe and Asian hemisphere, as well as Indonesia. The United States, Canada, Europe, Northern Europe and Japan are not included, in what they refer to as the New Economy.

The Chinese government is backing a city called Xiongan with a projected population of 3 to 5 million, a $300 billion project over 15 years, the Egyptian government backing of New Cairo with a projected population of 5 million, a project proposed to create 2 million jobs, the Nigerian government backing of Eko Atlantic with a projected population of 250 thousand, the Ecuadorian backing of Yachay, Ecuador with a population of 125 thousand, the Malaysian backed Forest City with a projected population of 700 thousand, the Qatari backing of Rawabi, West Bank with a projected population of 250 thousand – to name a few. It appears that many countries throughout the planet are expanding habitable territory to house and employ projected population increases over the immediate future.

As we discussed previously, world population is approaching 8 billion, up from 1 billion a couple of hundred years ago. It is projected to reach 10 billion, supposedly before tapering off a few hundred years from now. Nothing for you and me to worry about, but in reality we have a responsibility to future generations, who have not yet been born and cannot express an opinion or defend their rights, and who deserve being born into a world in which they can survive.

I seems imperative upon all of the developed countries to project and curtail consumption of precious resources, which can only be curtailed by population control. And it seems imperative to instill, declare, and enforce implementation of curtailment of environmental impacts which may, and the majority of our scientific community insists, will, render our wonderful planet to be unable to support human life or perhaps life of any kind.

The evidence is hiding in plain sight. All we have to do to confirm these findings is to digest the scientific research and studies of the oceans and the atmosphere by our brilliant scientists and engineers, and compare such findings in previous years, decades and centuries.

All we have to do to begin to curtail it is to elect leaders who understand these realities and have the intelligence and courage to ignore their personal careers, their personal wealth, their personal legacy, and join forces to convince 8 billion people that we must take steps to stanch the outflow of vital atmospheric conditions which sustain human life on Planet Earth.

Is it likely to happen? Probably so.
Is it likely to happen in time to make a difference? Probably not.

Think about it!