Global Warming is akin to myopically focusing on the screech of your tires as you lock up your wheels, instead of the concrete wall you are about to slam into. That wall... Global Population.
Mankind has walked this globe for 2 million years of Earth's 4.5 billion year existence (sorry Creationists, 6000 years is an embarrassing absurdity). Most of that was spent in caves adorned with depictions of The Hunt.…a pretty simplistic and barbaric existence. Kinda like hanging around a few of the bars we have downtown at 2 am.
However, a scant 14,000 years ago our primitive brains embraced the higher power of the all-knowing Moon/Sun Gods. Fear of God(s) was very effective in organizing the dim witted Neanderthals and would eventually transform them from the sparse nomadic tribes whacking each other, into the great civilizations of today. Much like the Barrie Police waiting outside those same bars.
We finally reached a Global population of 1 billion in the early 1800's; quite an achievement really. A billion humans had left behind the thick brow line, meat slung over an open fire and wearing dirty ball caps on a Saturday night. We were now living the Little House on the Prairie life, churning butter, relying on blacksmiths and spit shinning our cowboy boots for Yee Haw night.
It took us 1,999,800 years to get to 1 billion in population. It only took us another 90 to get to 1.5B. It was the year 1900. Americans were making $10 per week and closing in on such niceties as indoor plumbing and electricity. Barrie was well established as citizens traversed our godforsaken snow belt in a horse and buggy. College kids drank free I believe. Nothing speaks to sophistication like cheaply obliterating the leaders of tomorrow.
At the turn of the Millennium we had grown to 5.9B. Now that is a staggering jump. As of today we are at 6.7B. It took us 2,000,000 years for us to get to 1B and now we can add 1B to our closed system in a mind bogglingly brief 12 years. Keeping in mind the astute among us say that 1.5 billion is the limit for our planet to heal the injuries we impart in virtual perpetuity.
Currently we are doubling the Global Population every 50 Years and we are consuming and polluting on an equally exponential scale. We are the Yodeling mountain climber trekking up the mountainside on the Price is Right, seemingly oblivious to the end result.
Two Thirds of our population live below the poverty line and struggle for their very survival. China in the 70’s instituted the one child law yet still lead the pack with 1.3 billion followed closely by India with 1.2 billion.
This is a Brave New World indeed. Thank Christ SKYBANK is under construction because I need a drink from some place high with a view!
See ya next week top of the food chain!
-Life is complicated and far from perfect, but it's still great.
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