Eventually people will get, I suppose, population under control. But there is a large and growing number of people. They all have to be fed. They all have to be housed. They have to learn. They’re all gonna have families, we hope. They’re all going to have lives. Each one of them is an individual life. And as you have more and more, the great positive thing is people . . . they’re . . . it’s religion, if you like; but people have within them the capacity for great good and for terrible things. And societies come together, churches come together, philosophers come together, people come together with sets of behaviors which we try to teach children so that they’ll get those bad instincts under control. And so we’ll bring out the good ones. And if you’re gonna bring out the good ones, people are capable of marvelous things. I mean just tremendous organization. So that’s why I thought India was so interesting, because I thought, “My goodness. It’s like a microcosm.” And here we have the points of light, and the dangers of darkness. And of course we all know now we can destroy the whole planet. It’s possible. It’s possible. And yet we’re working . . . and that’s why I’m so enthusiastic about these different organizations – whether they’re local, or whether they’re national, or whether they’re international – that are trying to knit things together, that are trying to create structures. So when future people are born in the world, they will have structures within which they can work to try to use their good instincts, their capacities, their abilities, to create worlds that are better. And if you contrast this century with the 19th, in the 19th they were certain that it was progress; but we’ve lived through – I have – this terrible, terrible 20th Century. And now people are not at all certain whether the forces of progress, whether the good within people is so good that it can overcome these tremendous problems. But we’re working on it. So I’m an optimist, and most people are. We work on it. We do our best. Recorded on: 7/5/2007
Discuss
Rosie Cooper on January 23, 2008, 12:16 AM
Stephen,
I concur with you, it is in our interest to harbour the growing population in a world that is consuming resources and putting out carbon and other pollution at a rate we realise could well end the world as we know it. You are right, the population worldwide is growing at a rate far faster than the global death rate…and every one of us has a need to be fed, housed and educated.Many of us living in the "Western world" need to sacrifice the comforts we have been brought up with; as we are consuming far more than is fair to the rest of the world, and at a rate that is insane (it isn't feasible to keep consuming at this rate, the globe simply hasn't enough left to please us all, not to mention the backlash global warming is already bringing us).
This won't be an easy challenge at all.Widespread education about environmental issues needs to be brought about, and laws and policies must be changed, and it seems the action must be taken quickly.
I'm an optimist as well.I believe that like-minded individuals gathering together with a strong agenda for change is indeed an answer to our biggest problems.
Let's not give this one up. Ever. I will help in the action; for life. Count me in.
Rosie Cooper.
Rosie Cooper on January 23, 2008, 5:16 AM
Stephen,
I concur with you, it is in our interest to harbour the growing population in a world that is consuming resources and putting out carbon and other pollution at a rate we realise could well end the world as we know it.
You are right, the population worldwide is growing at a rate far faster than the global death rate…and every one of us has a need to be fed, housed and educated.
Many of us living in the “Western world” need to sacrifice the comforts we have been brought up with; as we are consuming far more than is fair to the rest of the world, and at a rate that is insane (it isn’t feasible to keep consuming at this rate, the globe simply hasn’t enough left to please us all, not to mention the backlash global warming is already bringing us).
This won’t be an easy challenge at all.
Widespread education about environmental issues needs to be brought about, and laws and policies must be changed, and it seems the action must be taken quickly.
I believe that like-minded individuals gathering together with a strong agenda for change is indeed an answer to our biggest problems.
I’m an optimist as well.
Let’s not give this one up. Ever. I will help in the action; for life. Count me in.
Rosie Cooper.
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