POPULATION AND
GLOBAL WARMING
Global warming is an issue
the 21ST generation should ignore at own peril. Global climate
scientists have kept those who may want to hear duly informed about
the drastically changing climate patterns and the expected effects.
Ignorance to counteract and make aware all humanity may have
shocking consequences in the future.
Population growth and this
global monster are conjoined at the hip. A fulfilling life of
tomorrows’ generation is at the stake unless we act now. Large
masses are at risk. Time is ripe for nations to tame the spiralling
human growth or try avert the factors fuelling faster warming of the
planet. To nip the growth factor bud, democracy, equality and
religion are critical. Democracy at its best promotes livelihoods. It
calls for economic power across all groups of people, in a stable and
conducive environment. Such a power demands inputs of population
controls and checks to be sustainable. Democracy makes health
information available, costless, cheap and efficient.
Women, being more
vulnerable to exacerbate the growth index, are given the will to
decide sizes of their families vis-a-vis the prevailing economic
conditions. Women education and empowerment are also pillars of hope
in any nation claiming to be democratic. The benefits vested in
properly educated women, far from the family spectacle, are greater
than making technological advancements in space exploration. I dream
of a society where quality education for all is not a monopolistic
right, but a democratic right be-throned for all skins. A precious
right to go to school and get knowledge until the brain can absorb no
more.
Democracy begets
equality. Espousing equality is tantamount to biblical wisdom of
brotherliness. In many global family settings, gender equality is
still as elusive as the idea of planet relocation in case of severe
and intolerable warming. It is an issue everyone hates discuss.
Think of societies where women and men work and earn; where both are
equally privileged to hold property; where sexual orientation is not
a determining factor in career preferences and where success is
recognized regardless of hands that bring it. Such societies have
many things in common: well knit and bonded families, adequate
access to life basics in tangible and in non-tangible forms and the
ability to make right decisions for informed causes. Thus, population
problem is not really a problem where equality thrives.
Lastly, religion and
population topics have lately been very controversial amongst all
faiths. Religion terms as disrespect to God’s command of recreate
and produce any measure taken to regulate the number of offspring
man can have. In extreme cases, particular religious sects
instinctively deny medical care upon children citing spiritual
repercussions. As a Christian, I doubt religion is anaemic to human
wellness.
Contraception and man has
lately threatened to divide the church, with religious demigods
battling to oust the scientific ideas of family planning. I am not an
atheist, but I am never convinced to take sides with the church on
the thorny issue of contraceptives. For one, large populations of
people globally are damned in slums, strangled in all forms of life
threatening conditions and humiliated by the tragedy of global
warming. Overlooking such gross human travesties is indicative of
spiritual degeneracy. Essence of religion is to nurture spiritual
growth and this is achievable if man’s well-being is taken as a
priority.
On a lighter note, the
church should instead change tack and advocate for contraception, not
only to protect a few from AIDS/HIV scourge, but to protect all
humanity and life from the devastating effects of global warming.
Such a time I would sing and dance hallelujah and prove to the world
that I ain't a critic of the church.
On one part that the
population growth menace will be tackled adequately, then the future
life trajectory will be optimistic. On the contrary, the gods will
decide as the global warming mitigation task requires actions, not
sympathies. The world cannot afford to take chances or hesitate with
billions of lives of people at risk, time is now to plan and
procreate. Time is now to plan together or perish together. Global
warming is real!