By Donald A. Collins | 18 May 2023
Church and State

Just as everyone can see daily in our media the deteriorating conditions of life around the planet, shocking even as in supposedly safe America, the persistent belief that we can grow our way out of the increasing global climate crisis gets more and more absurd.
Fixes are needed but time is not on our side.
As human numbers expand the situation gets worse as this ChatGPT generated story describes:
Title: Population Growth since 1965: Trends, Factors, and Implications
Introduction:
Since 1965, the global population has experienced unprecedented growth, transforming societies, economies, and ecosystems worldwide. This essay aims to explore the trends, factors, and implications of population growth over the past six decades. By examining the driving forces behind this growth, as well as its consequences, we can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by the changing demographics of our world.
Historical Overview:
In 1965, the world population stood at approximately 3.3 billion people. Since then, it has more than doubled to reach 7.9 billion in 2021. This remarkable increase can be attributed to a combination of factors, including declining mortality rates, improved healthcare, increased agricultural productivity, and advancements in technology. Furthermore, developing countries have witnessed the most significant population growth, with Asia and Africa experiencing rapid demographic shifts.
Demographic Transition:
One crucial framework for understanding population growth since 1965 is the demographic transition model. Initially proposed by demographer Frank W. Notestein in the mid-20th century, this model describes the shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as countries develop economically and socially. Many regions of the world have undergone or are currently experiencing various stages of this transition, leading to diverse population dynamics.
The fear that discussing population may be interpreted as being ‘racist’ is one of them.
Issues That Block Dialogue about Population Growth https://t.co/zJzR9xpgON via @ChurchAndStateN
— Church and State (@ChurchAndStateN) February 13, 2023
Factors Influencing Population Growth:
a. Fertility Rates: One of the primary drivers of population growth is fertility rates. In the mid-1960s, global fertility rates averaged around 4.95 births per woman. However, due to various factors such as increased access to family planning, education for women, and urbanization, fertility rates have declined over the years. By 2021, the global average had fallen to approximately 2.4 births per woman, nearing replacement level.
b. Mortality Rates: Improvements in healthcare and living conditions have contributed to a significant decline in mortality rates since 1965. Access to vaccinations, better sanitation, and advancements in medical treatments have led to longer life expectancies. As a result, population growth accelerated as birth rates outpaced death rates.
c. Urbanization: The process of urbanization has played a vital role in population growth since 1965. People migrating from rural areas to cities in search of employment opportunities and a higher quality of life have contributed to the growth of urban populations. This trend has been particularly prominent in developing countries, leading to the expansion of megacities and the emergence of new urban centers.
d. Migration: Another factor shaping population growth is international migration. Economic disparities, conflicts, and environmental factors have prompted large-scale movements of people across borders. Migration patterns have contributed to demographic changes in both source and destination countries, affecting population dynamics and cultural diversity.
Implications of Population Growth:
a. Environmental Impact: The unprecedented growth in population has put a strain on natural resources and ecosystems. Increased demand for food, water, energy, and housing has led to deforestation, habitat loss, water scarcity, and pollution. Managing these environmental challenges is crucial to ensure sustainable development and the well-being of future generations.
“The next few decades will be the end of the kind of civilization we’re used to.”
Humanity is consuming 175 percent of what the earth can regenerate. Biologist Paul Erlich says that our current way of life is unsustainable. https://t.co/AwaKLZFGsj pic.twitter.com/MU1jHpuMwI
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) January 2, 2023
b. Economic Considerations: Population growth can have both positive and negative economic implications. A growing population can stimulate economic growth by expanding the labor force, fostering innovation, and driving consumer demand. However, it also presents challenges, such as ensuring equitable distribution of resources, reducing poverty, and providing adequate infrastructure and services.
c. Social and Cultural Dynamics: Rapid population growth brings about social and cultural transformations. It affects family structures, education systems, healthcare services, and social norms. These changes can create opportunities for societal progress but also pose challenges in terms of social cohesion, inequality, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
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Having worked as I have for over 50 years to provide women with affordable safe convenient ways to avoid pregnancy, the current major impediments to such obvious benefits are religious or cultural barriers, nonsensical in a planet now moving well into that humongous 6th Extinction.
As I noted recently, qualified OB/GYNs are rapidly leaving states which ban abortions. Read the full article here.
Abortion ban states see steep drop in OB/GYN residency applicants .. utterly predictable. These states are killing their own people. https://t.co/rkqTq3CWil
— Jennifer "Pro-privacy" Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) April 22, 2023
As this op ed title argues, Uncontrolled Birth Control: Coming with or Without Our Permission!
The evidence of pending disaster by the recent World Wildlife Fund study predicted that by 2070 conditions will be dire. This evidence was highlighted by the January 1, 2023, presentation on CBS’ 60 Minutes which argued that most scientists see a holocaust as probable without more urgent action now.
Experts believe we may be in the midst of the sixth mass extinction event—but there’s hope if we take action now. https://t.co/Gfu6aGq0c1
— World Wildlife Fund (@World_Wildlife) March 16, 2022
Many scientists feel damage can’t be undone and that the odds are against saving us and many living things on our planet.
That urgently needed action must largely come from the powerful private companies who are now making us the world’s leading polluter, but such actions seem unlikely.
And so there will likely be before this century’s end, to use the biblical admonition surprisingly coming from me, an atheist, as the New Testament tells us many times, there will be “a weeping and gnashing of teeth” as homo sapiens suffer vast painful deaths which could have been avoided had secular actions evaded impediments politically imposed by unbelieving or uncaring people often duped by flawed sources in their countries or as also in the USA by madly conservative religious tyrants!
Adapted from Chat-GPT.

"What Can Be Done Now to Save Habitable Life on Planet Earth?": https://t.co/fHuh0CG6JD
"We Humans Overwhelm Our Earth: 11 or 2 Billion by 2100?": https://t.co/TA4j7cp1tE
"From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013": https://t.co/lkC2t3E1A9 pic.twitter.com/bQsL2mLBcO— Church and State (@ChurchAndStateN) November 1, 2021
Earth currently experiencing a sixth mass extinction, according to scientists | 60 Minutes
A Life on Our Planet David Attenborough
Sir David Attenborough on overpopulation
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