500 Million People in Africa are Water Insecure

 


How did this happen? The answer, there are too many people for the available water supply.

In some of Christianity say the solution is to pray. In other parts it is to dig wells that later may be outrun by population growth. More rational parts of the faith and of no faith approach the problem rationally. There is but one solution, reduce population growth or reduce the size of the population.

There is no end to the disagreement on how to do this. To some extent, economics can help find an answer.

In many situations, it is not possible to produce more water. Nor is it possible to relocate either the water or the people. So, the solution is to not use as much. Too many people make the problem. One of the reasons people have more children is economic. If more children are seen as a way in increase the standard of living of a family it will have more of them. The opposite is also true. When the birth rate is outrunning food or water or harming the environment incentives to reduce it will help.

One piece of optimistic news is the birth rate across the globe is falling. To the extent that is a product of economic forces this tells us children reduce the prosperity of families so people are having fewer of them. This is not universal, however, because culture and religion are forces in decision making as well.

Anti birth control and anti abortion groups constantly point to the growing size of the older population and the need for more young people to support them. This is a problem, but not one as important and a large population than runs out of water and other natural resources. When the latter happens it doesn't matter whether people are old or young, they are in trouble.

Critical thinking is a must in this issue. We need to ask why some groups in society promote higher birth rates? Are there groups who will benefit from higher birth rates even as the general population is made worse off?

There is no doubt some groups stand to benefit if their group has more children. This can come in the form of products sold, numbers in political constituencies and branches of religion. We all need to recognize self serving motives wherever they appear. 

Comments

  1. Matt NoahMarch 21, 2022 at 5:39 PM

    It is exactly the type of communist and atheistic thinking that leads one to believe innocent people are the problem. Hitler preached the Master Race garbage about the unproductive and their elimination. So it goes with Jon and his modern day Master Race garbage. Abortion and contraception are the tools of the communist. When that proves to be too slow, then the unfit must be gunned down or bombed. Putin is doing it and says it is in Russia's self-defense.

    I denounce Putin and stand with the Ukraine. I have not heard Jon criticize Putin and his strategy.

    Oh, and who decides who is unproductive or unfit? We are seeing multiple Democrat party members trying those labels on all sorts of religious and conservative people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenMarch 22, 2022 at 6:59 AM

      Matt--I'll give you this. You are consistent. You consistently change the subject whenever you are unable to defend your position. I understand, what else can one do when one has no arrows in his quiver?

      It is impossible to defend anti birth control and anti abortion when there are more people than there are natural resources to keep them alive. Do the math.

      It comes down to competition between those children and adults who were born and grew up or are growing up and fetuses. You are in favor of born people dying to save fetuses.

      Delete
  2. Jon LindgrenMarch 22, 2022 at 10:14 AM

    Matt--"I denounce Putin and stand with Ukraine."

    I just read a nice piece about the tendency we all have to think our views on events such as wars thousands of miles away are important.

    https://www.salon.com/2022/03/21/narcissism-tragedy-celebrities-ukraine/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Matt NoahMarch 22, 2022 at 6:17 PM

    Thanks. I proved a point. Your cooperation was essential.

    ReplyDelete

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