Hi Josh, You might want to read The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith. I found out about her book after listening to two long interviews with her which Celia Farber posted today or yesterday (June 4 or 5). She refers to "agriculture" (presumably "industrial" agriculture) as being a war on the planet. Much more in the interviews - Dr. Anthony Chaffee is one of the interviewers. Hope you are well, Marnie
Yes, I also follow Celia, and I listened to one of the Lierre interviews this morning. It was mind-opening. A vegetarian diet has worked well for me these 51 years, but I realize that different bodies need different diets. The other thing I got from Lierre was that monoculture is a disaster, and the whole world must transition to regenerative agriculture.
The rural county where I live is one of the largest in land area in the eastern United States. In land area alone (assuming we cleared all the trees and buildings), there is enough room that I can invite all my friends - all eight billion of them - to come over for a square dance or contra dance. Of course, we would have to set up some rules that everyone had to treat each other with respect!
In my opinion, the real issues we face involve food production and the environment, and these are both going in the wrong direction due to policies of the Power Elite. In the 20th century, the county where I live had about four hundred family-owned dairy farms. Most of those are gone, even the few that survived into the 21st century - replaced with a few banker-owned "megadairies."
Our environment has been damaged over the last few centuries due to mining and industry, but much more so in our lifetimes due to agricultural chemicals, consumer waste, and more. The so-called "green energy" systems are taking over our fields and will leave huge amounts of plastic waste long after they shut down. The mining for elements to make batteries for electric vehicles is particularly disturbing - allegedly exploiting child labor as well.
Lastly, I have read over the last several years that the world population has actually been stabilizing, and we may be near the peak of this cycle (this was before the so-called "pandemic" and it's notorious "vaccines" entered the scene). So I have no worries about overpopulation, and invite everyone to come over for the square dance!
Also in my inbox this morning was Elizabeth Nickson, who says that the whole idea of a Sixth Extinction is a sham. I agree with her that global warming, electrification, and various geoengineering projects have been weaponized to control people's private lives and to destroy the viability of small farmers. OTOH, I do think that there is a Sixth Extinction, and that humanity must move from an exploitive to a stewardship relationship with the biosphere.
Historically, the small family farms did their best to be stewards of the land - at least from my knowledge of the situation.
There may be another extinction - hopefully not caused by idiots with nuclear weapons. One of the previous extinctions apparently came about when an asteroid collided with Earth. So one never knows . . .
We are overpopulated, but only because we waste so much. Our consumption norms have not kept pace with our population, as I think Josh is saying. I went to a lecture recently that detailed the shocking destruction of ocean fish population, and the countless tons of accumulating plastic. Perhaps you have not read about the great insect die-off of recent decades, and the frightening extinction of other species, all due to our bad habits? ...And really, why would we even want to grow our population any further? Population-growth proponents seem to all have dollar signs in their eyes, behind dark sunglasses to hide their true motives, while they chatter about all the Einsteins that population growth promises. Meanwhile, these same folks are conveniently blind to the impoverished billions, and billions more of modest means, which surely includes a million crushed Einsteins. It seems that many of us really believe the imperialist's "end of history" nonsense - there will be no more great famines, world wars, ice ages, or solar anomalies, and we need not worry about the folks in the cities starving en masse. It is extremely irresponsible to go laissez faire when nature is obviously at a tipping point. Non-oppressive forms of eugenics are legitimate tools in the battle against anarchy and mass privation, but I don't think that will be enough to stave off the looming demons of mass shortage. A humanitarian form of China's reduced birthrate policy is also essential, IMO.
I agree resources have been managed terribly definitely- my point is that we could easily support even more humans but clearly we need a change of leadership and mind set.
The human population bust that has been underway for decades is a topic that has fascinated me for a long time. Just like you write, what we are witnessing now in our own species is not based on a lack of resources or territorial (social) restrictions.
What we see in other species, that became too numerous to their own liking, is that they develop long and complicated mating rituals that brings down the number of offspring. [Which would explain some of the weird social sexual trends today]
We are going through our own (instinct and evolution driven) population correction. I am not sure how much of the current sexless trend is part of this, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is a major factor.
A yet poorly understood evolutionary safety valve to bring down the human numbers has opened, and opened wide. Within a generation the birthrates in all regions on the Earth will fall well below replacement levels.
In centuries to come we will inhabit a very different world, where the old will significantly outnumber the young. It could take a very long time to reach a new equilibrium. This in turn will make the current social and economic system unsustainable.
All of this is not a bad thing.
It could be a Brave Grey World - if we are willing to embrace it.
What worries me is the people trying to manage population from the top down using methods that are harsh and coercive. When is the WEF going to embrace literacy programs for women?
As to the WEF - Nobody in a position power really wants a well informed populace capable of critical thinking, they want productive workers. When Nelson Rockefeller was asked why he supported the emancipation of women his answer was simple; 'housewives don't pay taxes'
Maybe that is the answer?
Even deeply patriarchal nations like Iran now struggle with a female population that has become too highly educated to work in manufacturing, which is deeply problematic for an economy that needs an industrial base.
As to controlling populations; this has failed since the French Revolution first modernized the concept. In those days some revolutionaries in Paris wanted to cull millions in the countryside but then quickly realized that they needed the cannon fodder.
Attempts to breed racial pure people failed in Nazi Germany (Lebensborn) while on the other hand the Chinese 'one child' policy was largely limited to the Han Chinese in large urban centers, where they had little impact as city folk don't tend to breed prodigiously
[On a side note; the Chinese one child policy originated from a change meeting and a flawed 1970's computer simulation at a Dutch University just around my corner]
Medical records systems push primary care physicians to ask and perhaps promote birth control. So, while not mandated, population control methods are being promoted in this country.
Hi Josh, You might want to read The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith. I found out about her book after listening to two long interviews with her which Celia Farber posted today or yesterday (June 4 or 5). She refers to "agriculture" (presumably "industrial" agriculture) as being a war on the planet. Much more in the interviews - Dr. Anthony Chaffee is one of the interviewers. Hope you are well, Marnie
Yes, I also follow Celia, and I listened to one of the Lierre interviews this morning. It was mind-opening. A vegetarian diet has worked well for me these 51 years, but I realize that different bodies need different diets. The other thing I got from Lierre was that monoculture is a disaster, and the whole world must transition to regenerative agriculture.
Yes the idea of regenerative agriculture was the main thing I took from Lierre Keith's talk with Celia Farber.
Thanks Josh. I feel the same reading those posts, and my personal experience is the same as yours.
Fortunately, our Overlords have thought this all through and come up with a plan to save themselves. The rest of us, not so much...
The rural county where I live is one of the largest in land area in the eastern United States. In land area alone (assuming we cleared all the trees and buildings), there is enough room that I can invite all my friends - all eight billion of them - to come over for a square dance or contra dance. Of course, we would have to set up some rules that everyone had to treat each other with respect!
In my opinion, the real issues we face involve food production and the environment, and these are both going in the wrong direction due to policies of the Power Elite. In the 20th century, the county where I live had about four hundred family-owned dairy farms. Most of those are gone, even the few that survived into the 21st century - replaced with a few banker-owned "megadairies."
Our environment has been damaged over the last few centuries due to mining and industry, but much more so in our lifetimes due to agricultural chemicals, consumer waste, and more. The so-called "green energy" systems are taking over our fields and will leave huge amounts of plastic waste long after they shut down. The mining for elements to make batteries for electric vehicles is particularly disturbing - allegedly exploiting child labor as well.
Lastly, I have read over the last several years that the world population has actually been stabilizing, and we may be near the peak of this cycle (this was before the so-called "pandemic" and it's notorious "vaccines" entered the scene). So I have no worries about overpopulation, and invite everyone to come over for the square dance!
Also in my inbox this morning was Elizabeth Nickson, who says that the whole idea of a Sixth Extinction is a sham. I agree with her that global warming, electrification, and various geoengineering projects have been weaponized to control people's private lives and to destroy the viability of small farmers. OTOH, I do think that there is a Sixth Extinction, and that humanity must move from an exploitive to a stewardship relationship with the biosphere.
https://elizabethnickson.substack.com/p/the-sixth-great-extinction-lie-is
https://mitteldorf.substack.com/p/co2-is-the-least-of-our-worries
Historically, the small family farms did their best to be stewards of the land - at least from my knowledge of the situation.
There may be another extinction - hopefully not caused by idiots with nuclear weapons. One of the previous extinctions apparently came about when an asteroid collided with Earth. So one never knows . . .
We’re not over populated.
I think it's a more nuanced question, as I wrote. Have you been to Beijing?
We are overpopulated, but only because we waste so much. Our consumption norms have not kept pace with our population, as I think Josh is saying. I went to a lecture recently that detailed the shocking destruction of ocean fish population, and the countless tons of accumulating plastic. Perhaps you have not read about the great insect die-off of recent decades, and the frightening extinction of other species, all due to our bad habits? ...And really, why would we even want to grow our population any further? Population-growth proponents seem to all have dollar signs in their eyes, behind dark sunglasses to hide their true motives, while they chatter about all the Einsteins that population growth promises. Meanwhile, these same folks are conveniently blind to the impoverished billions, and billions more of modest means, which surely includes a million crushed Einsteins. It seems that many of us really believe the imperialist's "end of history" nonsense - there will be no more great famines, world wars, ice ages, or solar anomalies, and we need not worry about the folks in the cities starving en masse. It is extremely irresponsible to go laissez faire when nature is obviously at a tipping point. Non-oppressive forms of eugenics are legitimate tools in the battle against anarchy and mass privation, but I don't think that will be enough to stave off the looming demons of mass shortage. A humanitarian form of China's reduced birthrate policy is also essential, IMO.
I agree resources have been managed terribly definitely- my point is that we could easily support even more humans but clearly we need a change of leadership and mind set.
Thanks Josh.
Fertility is declining in many places. Do people know why? I'm not sure.
What I hear from my young adult offspring is deep sense of caution about bringing children into our uncertain world. It's a meme.
People look around and judge for themselves, as might other animals.
Is there also a deeper, fundamental intuition?
Do we live on a planet with recurring catastrophic events, like "Genesis floods"?
The human population bust that has been underway for decades is a topic that has fascinated me for a long time. Just like you write, what we are witnessing now in our own species is not based on a lack of resources or territorial (social) restrictions.
What we see in other species, that became too numerous to their own liking, is that they develop long and complicated mating rituals that brings down the number of offspring. [Which would explain some of the weird social sexual trends today]
We are going through our own (instinct and evolution driven) population correction. I am not sure how much of the current sexless trend is part of this, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is a major factor.
A yet poorly understood evolutionary safety valve to bring down the human numbers has opened, and opened wide. Within a generation the birthrates in all regions on the Earth will fall well below replacement levels.
In centuries to come we will inhabit a very different world, where the old will significantly outnumber the young. It could take a very long time to reach a new equilibrium. This in turn will make the current social and economic system unsustainable.
All of this is not a bad thing.
It could be a Brave Grey World - if we are willing to embrace it.
What worries me is the people trying to manage population from the top down using methods that are harsh and coercive. When is the WEF going to embrace literacy programs for women?
I share your worries.
As to the WEF - Nobody in a position power really wants a well informed populace capable of critical thinking, they want productive workers. When Nelson Rockefeller was asked why he supported the emancipation of women his answer was simple; 'housewives don't pay taxes'
Maybe that is the answer?
Even deeply patriarchal nations like Iran now struggle with a female population that has become too highly educated to work in manufacturing, which is deeply problematic for an economy that needs an industrial base.
As to controlling populations; this has failed since the French Revolution first modernized the concept. In those days some revolutionaries in Paris wanted to cull millions in the countryside but then quickly realized that they needed the cannon fodder.
Attempts to breed racial pure people failed in Nazi Germany (Lebensborn) while on the other hand the Chinese 'one child' policy was largely limited to the Han Chinese in large urban centers, where they had little impact as city folk don't tend to breed prodigiously
[On a side note; the Chinese one child policy originated from a change meeting and a flawed 1970's computer simulation at a Dutch University just around my corner]
Medical records systems push primary care physicians to ask and perhaps promote birth control. So, while not mandated, population control methods are being promoted in this country.
I'm not against a culture of small families. I oppose all forms of coercion in medicine and family planning.
Yes I have. I mean is it nice to live on a hive? No -but do we have space on earth for this many people: definitely