Professor's Death Wish

Human Events Online ^ | April 3, 2006 | Christopher Flickinger

[beaversmom]

If six billion humans died, the world would be a better place.

That's the message a professor from the University of Texas is proclaiming.

An article in The Gazette-Enterprise details Professor Eric Pianka's doomsday beliefs. "In his estimation, 'We've grown fat, apathetic and miserable,' all the while leaving the planet parched. The solution? A 90 percent reduction."

Can anyone say "Thomas Malthus wannabe" (high school flashback: Malthus was the guy who said the earth's population would outgrow its food supply).

Pianka tells the Gazette, "[Disease] will control the scourge of humanity. We're looking forward to a huge collapse."

The professor says he's not championing genocide. "The biggest enemy we face is anthropocentrism," he said, describing the belief system in which humans are the central element of the universe. "This is that common attitude that everything on this Earth was put here for [human] use."

Ah ha… looks like someone forgot to go to Sunday school!

Genesis 1: 28 "'…Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.' Then God said, ‘Behold I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;…'

And, since we're approaching Easter, allow me to quote a line from the movie The Ten Commandments that Professor Pianka needs to hear: "So let it be written. So let it be done."

I digress.

The Gazette story goes on to say that to Pianka "a human life is no more valuable than any other: a lizard, a bison, a rhino. And as humans reproduce, the demand for resources like food, water and energy becomes more than the Earth can sustain"

The article also points out that Pianka is "not without abundant advocates." However, there are some dissenters. Dr. James Pitts, who graduated from UT-Austin and recently filed a complaint with the UT board of regents, contends there is no place for Pianka's views at a state university.

"Pianka's message does not fall within the realm of his professional competence as a biologist, because it is a normative claim, not a descriptive one. Pianka is encouraged to use his ecological expertise to predict the likely consequences of certain technological and reproductive strategies, but to evaluate some as good, bad, or worthy of prevention by genocide is the realm of philosophy or political science, not science. His message falls no more within his professional competence than it would for a physicist to teach religion in class or a musician to encourage racism."

But, consider Professor Pianka's student evaluations as described by the Gazette: "the most incredible class I ever had" and "Pianka is a GOD!"

That last one is rather interesting given that Pianka's views of humanity are in direct contrast to God's.

And so, I leave the good professor with some advice: consider taking shelter during the next electrical storm as God might agree with you and decide to eliminate a few problems plaguing this world.

[KStorm]

If Mr. Planka is so devoted to his cause, let him take the first step.

[beaversmom]

Michael Medved ping. Medved discussed this professor during his show today. Anyone want on or off the ping list, let me know by FR mail.

[VOA]

"If Mr. Planka is so devoted to his cause, let him take the first step."

"But that would be too obviously self-serving!"
The sort of bloviating I hear from environmentalists that have no problem
with having more than 2 kids, SUVs in the driveway of their big homes
and no problems with taking lots of trips on fuel-guzzlin' jets.

[VOA]

"Medved discussed this professor during his show today."

Please tell us that the good professor declined (cluck-cluck) to come
onto Medved's show.

[beaversmom]

They did asked him but Medved said he very angrily refused. Hard to believe a guy that wants death by Ebola for 90% wouldn't be happen a guy.

[beaversmom]

oops should read--wouldn't be a "happy" guy.

[HangnJudge]

This from a blog discussing the speech at the meeting

http://brenmccnnll.blogspot.com/2006/03/dr.html

Dr. Pianka's talk at the TAS meeting was mostly of the problems humans are causing as we rapidly proliferate around the globe. While what he had to say is way too vast to remember it all, moreover to relay it here in this blog, the bulk of his talk was that he's waiting for the virus that will eventually arise and kill off 90% of human population. In fact, his hope, if you can call it that, is that the ebola virus which attacks humans currently (but only through blood transmission) will mutate with the ebola virus that attacks monkeys airborne to create an airborne ebola virus that attacks humans. He's a radical thinker, that one! I mean, he's basically advocating for the death of all but 10% of the current population!

Worse, the blogger then states

And at the risk of sounding just as radical, I think he's right.

Humans are far too populous. We've used up our resources, and we're destroying the Earth at an accelerated pace. The more technology we create, the more damage we're capable of doing

The blogger, and many of this guys students are now full converts! Judging by the course comments, there are many more like him...

[beaversmom]

They did ask him but Medved said he very angrily refused. Hard to believe a guy that wants death by Ebola for 90% of us wouldn't be a happy guy--(that's better:)).

[Howie66]

"If Mr. Planka is so devoted to his cause, let him take the first step."

You nailed it!!

[Paleo Conservative]

He should lead by example.

[HangnJudge]

This is another example of envirowhacko thinking

www.wildlandsprojectrevealed.org

"Does all the foregoing mean that Wild Earth and The Wildlands Project advocate the end of industrialized civilization? Most assuredly. Everything civilized must go..."

--John Davis, editor of
Wild Earth magazine

[tom paine 2]

I agree. I recommend hanging himself using biodegradable rope over a pit of quick lime, to reduce the affect of his demise on the ecosystem.

[Verginius Rufus]

If six billion humans died, the world would be a better place.

Maybe so, but who would feed the goldfish?

[Fielding]

I do not agree with this guys approach to what is right or wrong with human behavior. I have however witnessed natural controls (tularemia) for jackrabbit populations. An opportunistic microorganism will likely thin out the human hoards. Darn, there go my oil futures.

[balrog666]

This is only a reference to the first article. Nothing new here.

If Pianka really did advocate this in his speech, why are we hearing it from only one lone nutcase's blog?

[Cicero]

Sounds like his professor would make good fertilizer for his garden. It would be the ecological thing to do.

[Rakkasan1]

this guy and Peter Singer should move to MASS. so they can add more 'ASS' to MASS. and get married and celebrate death together.

[HangnJudge]

Dr. James Pitts, whose reputation is beyond reproach, initiate the complaint against Pianka in open forum. This is not just a "nut case", he was an eye witness. My link in post 8 was to another witness to the TAS meeting, with a pro mass extinction of humans viewpoint, learned in this guys Biology 302 class also.

[Continental Soldier]

Well, of course, if a whole bunch of humans disappeared from the scene, life in this world would be much improved. All of the elements that now cheapen life would vanish, a strong belief in work and family would flourish, and the future would again become the place of hope and dreams. After all, let's get realistic -- how many people can this planet support? Population increases dramatically every day! Nobody seems to be seriously addressing this problem. Where is Algore when he is needed? The Earth will eventually address the problem. Oh, well. So be it.