orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) (02/18/85)
> > Ethiopia, today's best example, is experiencing famine NOT because there > is not enough food, but because of distribution (as well as political > reasons). In the United States we are *throwing food away*, > and not just farmers and dairymen -- did you eat the skin of > your potato ... ? > > I, too, am beginning to doubt the calamaties predicted > for us by Malthus almost 200 years ago. While I agree that there > are limits to growth, I doubt we've seen them yet. There have been > famines and plagues thruout human history right up to today, but > not because the Earth was too full. > > We have yet to see effects of "over-population"; perhaps this is a > good time to ask what IS over-population anyway? Too many people? > Too many POOR people ... ? > -- > Gordon A. Moffett ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!gam Au contraire, Mr. Moffet. The present massive famines in North Africa are due to an unprecedented spread of the Saharan desert. While the Sahara has been spreading southward for many years, in the last few years it has been growing at many times the rate in the past. A major factor in the spread of the Sahara is believed to be the massive deforestation caused by too many people trying to eke out a living on unproductive land. The nomads cut down the trees for firewood and other uses, overgraze and thus destroy the few grasses living in the region south of the Sahara. These processes advance the desert since the already scarce trees and grasses help retain what moisture there is in the Sahel. Our own country saw the same thing happen some years ago. The Dust Bowl was created by unecological agricultural practices and forced thousands off their land. But if people cannot learn any lessons from the Great Depression how can they be expected to learn a lesson from the Dust Bowl. This does *not* mean such things are *not* social and political problems. They certainly are. But there are various ways to help solve the problem. One is to reduce the population to be carried on regions like the Sahel which cannot support the current population. Another is to encourage RE-forestation rather than DE-forestation. Yet another is in general to encourage more ecological farming practices by those living in the Sahel. Love and cherish our beautiful green Earth! tim sevener whuxl!orb