> Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 20:08:21 -0800 (PST)
> From: Kevin Robert Dean <qualiall_2 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Overpopulation as a myth?
>
> Hello folks
>
> On another list I'm on, we got into a pretty heaed
> discussion about the concept of "Sustainable
> Populations" as a requisite for a "Sustainable
> Society", with me taking the position that so called
> "overpopulation problems" are basically a result of
> unequal distribution of resources and that advances in
> technology, ect will help overcome these problems.
>
> I also take the position that requests for people to
> stop having babies (aside from being an attack on
> impoverished women) is a pipe dream at best, so
> concentrating on how to distribute and conserve
> resources should be the focus.
>
> Does anyone have any good resources to help my cause?
>
> Also the Sustainabiliy campaign seems to believe that
> "local production for the local people" is the best
> way, but I believe this to be wrong, and that reliance
> on localism will run into all sorts of distibution and
> production problems, but I'm having a hard time
> finding examples of why that would be true.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> =====
> Kevin Dean
>
There's a good brief discussion of population and development by the economist Amartya Sen which helps to counter some of the typical ecotopian arguements on population growth along the lines you discuss:
Population: Delusion and Reality http://finance.commerce.ubc.ca/~bhatta/ArticlesByAmartyaSen/amartya_sen_on_population.html