Robert Ennever | Bendemere Books

Are politicians afraid to mention the Real Problem?

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Published on Tuesday, 18 January 2011 11:06

Every day we hear politicians expounding their views of Climate Change, and to most informed people there remains little doubt that change is happening.  What is more open to debate is to what extent this change is brought about by human activity and how much is due to natural forces. 

Whatever this ratio may be, it is indisputable that an over-use of the world’s resources is unsustainable.  Examples of the results of deforestation, soil degradation, pollution, and excessive exploitation, are numerous and obvious.

            So we are all encouraged to consume less, waste less and conserve more. But to my mind, while these exhortations are worthy and should be endorsed by our actions, there are glaring inconsistencies between what governments are saying and what governments are doing.

            If we citizens all turn off unnecessary lights, minimize our air-conditioning, walk rather than ride whenever possible, and try our utmost to do our bit, what do we achieve if, on the other hand, our government is facilitating the export of vast quantities of coal to the world’s greatest polluter, China?

            Why too, when ‘Greening the Planet’ is deemed vital, does our government allow the establishment of a pulp-mill, with its subsequent devouring of huge numbers of trees, in Tasmania?

            There are many grave issues facing our world today.  Some easy to remedy, others much more difficult. But why are politicians refusing to acknowledge the greatest problem?  That very problem which is the fundamental cause of a myriad other problems? Over-population!

            Whether it be a plague of mice or a plague of locusts, the results are the same.  A plague exhausts its resources. And we should be in no doubt, we humans are a plague. As in any plague, over-population initiates social upheaval, individuals turn on each other, wars begin over food and water, and ultimately there is chaos.

            We can send a man to the moon, we can perform miracles of technology, we can cure what were formerly terminal illnesses.  Surely we could address the problem of over-population if we but had the will.

Would it be too much to hope that our politicians lead the way to winning this war with as much energy and fervour as they devote to winning their seats at the next election?