UN REPORT CHALLENGES POPULATION BOMB THEORIES

Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute ^ | September 7, 2001 | Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute

[Brian Kopp DPM]

FRIDAY FAX, September 7, 2001 Volume 4, Number 38

UN REPORT CHALLENGES POPULATION BOMB THEORIES

A new UN report studying the effects of population growth on the environment provides information that challenges some of the most fundamental assumptions of population control, assumptions used to justify sterilization, abortion and contraception. "World Population Monitoring 2001," prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, emphasizes that many of the most dire predictions about the consequences of population growth have proven unfounded, and remain unlikely to occur even if the world population rises to 8.9 billion by 2050.

The most common argument against population growth is that the earth has a "carrying capacity," a threshold number of humans beyond which civilization will descend into chronic famine, disease, poverty and civil strife. According to the report, however, "Over the period 1961-1998, world per capita food available for direct human consumption increased by 24 per cent, and there is enough being produced for everyone on the planet to be adequately nourished." Also, general advances in technology and industry have resulted in a dramatic growth in average material well-being - "From 1900 to 2000, world population grew from 1.6 billion persons to 6.1 billion. However, while world population increased close to 4 times, world real gross domestic product increased 20 to 40 times, allowing the world to not only sustain a four-fold population increase, but also to do so at vastly higher standards of living." The report shows guarded optimism that these trends will continue, and that food production will continue to grow along with the population.

Population control advocates also argue that growth will strip the world of nonrenewable resources like oil and minerals, thereby throwing economies into disarray. But, the Population Division report says, "During recent decades new reserves have been discovered, producing the seeming paradox that even though consumption of many minerals has risen, so has the estimated amount of the resource as yet untapped."

The latest argument concerns the environmental effects of population growth, including pollution, habitat destruction and the extinction of species. The report contends that population growth may contribute to some of these problems, especially fisheries depletion and water contamination, but "In general, population growth appears to be much less important as a driving force of such problems than is economic growth and technology." Even global warming will be ".mainly due to modes of production, not to the size, growth and distribution of population." Consumption patterns among developed countries with declining populations also have a detrimental impact on the environment.

The report advances no specific policy initiatives, but it emphasizes that population is only one of a number of complex, interrelated issues affecting the environment and human development. When famine occurs, for instance, it can be because "People have inadequate physical and/or economic access to food as a result of poverty, political instability, economic inefficiency and social inequity," not simply because there are too many people.

The report brings into question the ever-constant UN goal of decreasing birth rates worldwide. The Population Division, which makes all UN predictions about population growth, is seen as mostly non-ideological.

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[Brian Kopp DPM]

Pro-life, there's no such thing as overpopulation ping

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

[GEC]

Now that their predictions are failing, they are revising them.

There will never be more than 8 billion people inhabiting the surface of this planet.

The report still accepts the bogus premise of global warming and the impact of economic growth on the planet.

The UN is still filled with misanthropists.

[patent]

8-Sep-2001 -- EWTN News Brief

UN COMMITTEE URGES SENEGAL, PANAMA, NEPAL TO PROVIDE ABORTION

GENEVA, (CWNews.com/LSN.ca) - The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights concluded its twenty-sixth session August 31 expressing concern over the lack of abortion services in Senegal, Panama, and Nepal.

Abortions are not permitted in those countries except when the life of the mother is threatened. Set up to supposedly review how the rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights are protected, the committee is used by radical feminists to promote abortion in countries where the protection of unborn children is enshrined in law.

A United Nations report on the committee's proceedings on Nepal reveals that the committee was "concerned ... that abortion was absolutely illegal and was considered as a criminal offense, punishable by severe sentences." In its concluding observations and recommendations, the committee, according to the UN report, "recommended that Senegal take remedial action to address the problems of clandestine abortions, unwanted pregnancies, and the high rate of maternal mortality."

In addressing Panama, the committee "called upon the State party to take urgent measures aimed at reducing the excessively high maternal mortality rate, and to expand the availability and accessibility of reproductive and sexual health information and services, so as to encourage a reduction in the rates of illegal abortions and early pregnancy. In United Nations parlance, reproductive and sexual health services include abortion.

[patent]

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[Romulus]

The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights concluded its twenty-sixth session August 31 expressing concern over the lack of abortion services in Senegal, Panama, and Nepal.

Guess this means operations are officially at the mop-up stage.

[eno_]

Yeah, just wait until they figure out that the most economically developed countries have the cleanest environments. It just sucks to be a bureaucrat when things turn out fine all by themselves.

[RippleFire]

UN_list: For United Nations articles

[EODGUY]

Just one more reason for the US to extricate itself from this abominable organization.

Thanks for the heads-up.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

bumpttt