The Nature Conservancy Fails To Grasp Reality

Op-Ed Contributor

by Frosty Wooldridge

(WireNews+Co) - Denver, CO - 04 January 2013

As a 30 year member of The Nature Conservancy, an organization that has secured millions of acres of land and habitat since 1951 by purchasing it to save it, I feel compelled to expose organization’s lack of addressing human overpopulation. The driver and the reason for The Nature Conservancy’s efforts remains: human overpopulation.

In their latest journal, the Conservancy published their lead scientist’s article “Are there too many people in the world?” The author Peter Kareiva shows a total disregard for addressing human overpopulation as the main driver of loss of habitat. In fact, he suffers “embarrassment” if he would address human overpopulation. As per Norman Myers, Oxford University, the planet loses 80 to 100 species to extinction daily because of human habitat encroachment. Those numbers will escalate as human numbers accelerate. How can Karevia and the Conservancy ignore reality?

Worse, the Conservancy refuses to publish authors and scientists that do address human overpopulation. Mark R. Tercek, CEO, thinks that if he ignores the “population factor”, it will vanish on its own. Reality check: it is growing worse by 80 million added humans net gain annually and 1 billion net gain every 12 years on its way from 7.1 billion to 10.1 billion and beyond by 2050—a scant 37 years from now. Write Mark R. Tercek at magazine@tnc.org (http://www.wirenews.co/mailto:magazine@tnc.org) and give him a few of your own thoughts. The article may be accessed: http://churchandstate.org.uk/2012/12/nature-conservancys-chief-scientist-pooh-poohs-population-growth (http://churchandstate.org.uk/2012/12/nature-conservancys-chief-scientist-pooh-poohs-population-growth).

The question remains: how can he publish inane lead scientists who lack the common sense to address reality, but in fact, feel embarrassed to deal with the population equation?

My friend and fellow population activist, writer and filmmaker, Dave Gardner, Colorado Springs, leads http://www.GrowthBusters.org (http://www.growthbusters.org). He replied to Kareiva’s commentary:

Dave Gardner says:
December 9, 2012 at 6:17 am

Please pardon my taking exception to much of what is written in this piece.

Most of the arguments here do not disprove the hypothesis that the world is overpopulated. The idea that we may just need to rearrange the way we live is far from scientific proof that Earth can sustain 7 billion of us. The fact that densely populated cities may be engines of innovation has nothing to do with whether the world is overpopulated. Even the fact that there were significant extinctions at times with smaller populations does not disprove the existence of overpopulation today. So one is left to wonder exactly what the purpose of this commentary is.

While this list may not be conclusive proof, it is a pretty clear indication human numbers have reached a point that we cannot manage our affairs in a sustainable way:

--Climate change
--Massive species extinction
--Depletion of aquifers
--Rivers over-appropriated
--Toxification of our freshwater
--Ocean dead zones
--Fisheries decline
--Fertile soil depletion
--Doubling of resource prices in the last decade
--Continued large-scale hunger

Being embarrassed at feeling your quality of life is lower due to the number of people in your community, your state, your country, or the world, is one of the things that prevents us from dealing with the issue of overpopulation effectively. Don’t be embarrassed. If we have to give up quality of life because we are afraid to talk about overpopulation, then we will get what is coming to us.

Another is repeating the tired, completely off-the-mark mantra about who should be taken out, if indeed we are overpopulated. Those truly interested in the science, and not just interested in distracting us from the problem, know and will tell us that we can humanely, voluntarily reduce human population significantly over the next century simply by choosing to limit our own family size. Fear not; no one has to be executed.

Making contraception more accessible, giving women more equality in these decisions, and making accurate information about overpopulation available are all important ingredients. Let me repeat: making accurate information widely available. Being embarrassed and spreading disinformation are really not helpful.

Dave Gardner
Director of the documentary
http://www.GrowthBusters.org (http://www.GrowthBusters.org) : Hooked on Growth

The Nature Conservancy must get a grip. The entire citizenry of the planet must get a grip. We cannot keep growing at 80 million net gain annually and hope to survive the 21st century. Take action by joining these groups: http://www.CapsWeb.org (http://www.CapsWeb.org); http://www.NumbersUSA.org (http://www.NumbersUSA.org); http://www.Fairus.org (http://www.Fairus.org) and http://www.TheSocialContract.com (http://www.TheSocialContract.com).

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Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents - from the Arctic to the South Pole - as well as eight times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. In 2012, he bicycled coast to coast across America He presents "The Coming Population Crisis in America: and what you can do about it" to civic clubs, church groups, high schools and colleges. He speaks all over the United States: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World. Copies at 1 888 280 7715. Programs click: http://www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com (http://www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com).