Formulated in 1993, by me: It's called "I.G.O." ..."Irresponsibility, Greed, and Overpopulatioin" ...The roots of all problems on Earth. ... I go, you go, we all go... if prudent changes are not immediately integrated into all earthly societies.
Joan - 15 years ago
Hmm... I just noticed that I had commented on a different poll. The question was "Should Patriotic Americans Stop at 2 Kids?" at http://www.rodale.com/print/2448. I clicked on "view comments" and got this page.
Joan Philips - 15 years ago
It is total nonsense to imagine that population growth does not effect environmental problems and depressing to see how many people think it is not a problem. Limiting consumption is great, but it is just not enough by itself. Telling people to stop at 2 should be no more controversial than telling them to stop smoking. You do not need to be afraid of the government telling you what to do. More and more of us live in expensive overcrowded cities where we are being forced by circumstance to have fewer children, so asking people to limit their procreation actually increases your ability to have a larger family.
Scott - 15 years ago
Yes, overpopulation is absolutely everyone's business. Those who choose to have large families are putting an unfair, selfish strain on this planet. We can all try to live as green and as softly as possible, but we still leave a carbon foot print. We still use up resources and contribute to pollution and global warming. So families (whether they can "afford" extra kids or not) who choose to keep having babies are absolutely everyone's business (and everyone's burden). I'm not even that concerned about 3 kids. But when it gets to be 5, 6, or more, then it's everyone's major problem. Too many people is absolutely the root of ALL of our problems. And we all need to take responsibility and get the word out. The pressures of the latest American campaign to get people to quit smoking or not start has worked. Now we need to put pressure on people and spread the word that we all have a responsibility to limit our reproduction and stop overpopulating and causing all these problems, which our future generations will bear the burden for. I applaud those who choose to remain childless or just have 1 child. They are making the responsible choice; even in the face of the religious types who pressure them to have larger families. Time to face the facts, everyone: "Be fruitful and multiply" does NOT apply to this time in history! So let's all stop the overpopulation burden in its tracks, starting now!!!
Nita - 15 years ago
I believe if you can afford to have more than 2 children then that is your own business it is surely not for your neighbors or friends or Government to decide for you. And believe me the small tax credit that you get for a child does not have any bearing on having a child, it isnt a drop in the bucket of what it takes to raise a child. So the Government needs to concentrate on more important things than how many children someone has. I do, however believe if someone continues to have children and can not properly take care of them and the Government has to step in and pay to have them taken care of then that person or couple should be penalized or sterilized.
John - 15 years ago
Growing up my parents had 3 children. We lived in a 2 bedroom, one bath, 1200 sq foot home very happily. We had one car, a 4 door sedan, one tv, one radio, one phone. Clothes were dried outside, hand-me-downs and reuse was the name of the game. Fresh garden vegetables, lots of fruit and I do not remember much processed food or fast food at all. I think if anyone thought of a carbon foot print at that time they might have found we had a lower one than a lot of single people have today. It may be the amount of children you have is putting a strain on the environment but I also think that it is our unwillingness to live as simply as possible that is having a much bigger impact.
Legislating how many children Americans have is unconstitutional I am sure, even if the pressure to stop at 2 is thru added taxation not an outright ban.
Also, China, not known for its support of human rights, decades ago ordered its citizens to have only one child. The results were that female babies were left to die so couples could try again for male children. The females who were not killed ended up in orphanages. Now the country has a glut of males in their 20s for whom there is now a shortage of women and jobs. Could be an uprising brewing there?
However, that said, yes we need to have fewer children. Conservationists have said that for many decades! But, Westerners and Americans do not want to take responsibility for a depletion of the earth's resources and the destruction of its land, water and air.
Our demand for the biggest of everything has fueled the most dynamic economy on the planet. The recession has stopped our consumption in its tracks. Now we are suffering because the consumer spending has stopped!
But if we don't get back to profligate spending and the accompanying use of massive quantities of resources and expulsion of by-products which are noxious to our land, we will face a worldwide depression!
We have to come up with a new economy based on something other than the use/buy/spend/pollute/destroy philosophy. The more children we have to support, the harder that will be!
Jodi - 15 years ago
Yes, of course overpopulation is a horrendously serious burden on our planet and its other inhabitants. It doesn't take a genius to do the math; 2 to procreate, so no more than 2 procreated by any of us. If people would wise up and research for themselves all the problems overpopulation of the human species is already causing, they would make the responsible choice to have 2 or less children. If we don't take steps to reduce our growth, then there will eventually have to be government intervention, as has happened in China. So why not make the intelligent, caring, responsible choice, rather than contribute to the global overpopulation problem, which is at the very core of all our problems? Every single one of us, no matter how softly we try to live on this planet, is creating a carbon footprint that stretches far beyond what most realize.
And those of you who take it upon yourselves to take comments like mine personally and choose to be offended by them; those of us who adapt this common-sense approach to the problem are not out to get you, and we value life as much as you; so relax. Stop taking everything so personally and try simply facing facts for a change. The simple fact is, we have too many people on this planet already, and resources are being depleted. Yes, the national debt is appalling and frightening; but so is the burden we are placing on our planet and her resources. Two separate issues that both need serious attention and demand a call to action. And one of many steps each of us can take to drastically improve things for future generations is to limit our family sizes.
Shelley - 15 years ago
Are you then going to legislate what kind of house I can have and how big? How about whether or not I can color my hair or what kind of food and supplements I can buy (codex alimentarius). Maybe you'll tell me I can only purchase tiny, very unsafe fiberglass cars as well, since human life doesn't mean crap to you. See, my submission to your fear is endless because your fear is endless. Tell me, who is worthy to set the boundaries on what is acceptable or not, you, the government? You will never be able to legislate human reproduction in a democracy. Wait that's what we have, right? Are you sure?
Gina M - 15 years ago
I have 3 children. My husband and I were planning on 2 children but my second pregnancy was twins. No, I did not use any fertility drugs. Should my husband be taxed for our third child or lose our tax deduction for him? Nature made the choice for us. I'm happy with my family.
Karen M - 15 years ago
Chris G- what a brilliant idea! Even just taking away the tax benefit given for having additional children after the first 2 might deter some people from having more children. I love children and love the idea of a big family, however, my husband and I have decided to stop at 2 kids. The impact on the environment is definitely there: more kids=larger car, larger house, more food, more clothes, etc. I think that it's way too hardline of a policy to put an absolute moratorium on having more than 2 kids, but there definitely shouldn't be a tax advantage for it.
Chris G - 15 years ago
Shilpa Abbitt are you mormon?? Sorry, but living in UT, the home of SUVs and large familys, I have to assume this! BUT my next comment, goes along with yours.... "focus on the real issue of we are facing a huge debt"
Since it would be tough to enforce the 2 children law, just tax people for each child after 2 instead of giving them more money for more children. Then nothing is banned. Just like everything else in the world, you would just have to pay a price for what you want.
Shilpa Abbitt - 15 years ago
Maybe Patriotic Americans should follow the constitution and not butt into other people's lifestyle choices - of how many kids they have, what they eat, how big a house they have, if they drive a gas guzzler. Patriotic Americans need to focus on the real issue of we are facing a huge debt and killing the American Dream for the next generation and we need to fight Big Government
Formulated in 1993, by me: It's called "I.G.O." ..."Irresponsibility, Greed, and Overpopulatioin" ...The roots of all problems on Earth. ... I go, you go, we all go... if prudent changes are not immediately integrated into all earthly societies.
Hmm... I just noticed that I had commented on a different poll. The question was "Should Patriotic Americans Stop at 2 Kids?" at http://www.rodale.com/print/2448. I clicked on "view comments" and got this page.
It is total nonsense to imagine that population growth does not effect environmental problems and depressing to see how many people think it is not a problem. Limiting consumption is great, but it is just not enough by itself. Telling people to stop at 2 should be no more controversial than telling them to stop smoking. You do not need to be afraid of the government telling you what to do. More and more of us live in expensive overcrowded cities where we are being forced by circumstance to have fewer children, so asking people to limit their procreation actually increases your ability to have a larger family.
Yes, overpopulation is absolutely everyone's business. Those who choose to have large families are putting an unfair, selfish strain on this planet. We can all try to live as green and as softly as possible, but we still leave a carbon foot print. We still use up resources and contribute to pollution and global warming. So families (whether they can "afford" extra kids or not) who choose to keep having babies are absolutely everyone's business (and everyone's burden). I'm not even that concerned about 3 kids. But when it gets to be 5, 6, or more, then it's everyone's major problem. Too many people is absolutely the root of ALL of our problems. And we all need to take responsibility and get the word out. The pressures of the latest American campaign to get people to quit smoking or not start has worked. Now we need to put pressure on people and spread the word that we all have a responsibility to limit our reproduction and stop overpopulating and causing all these problems, which our future generations will bear the burden for. I applaud those who choose to remain childless or just have 1 child. They are making the responsible choice; even in the face of the religious types who pressure them to have larger families. Time to face the facts, everyone: "Be fruitful and multiply" does NOT apply to this time in history! So let's all stop the overpopulation burden in its tracks, starting now!!!
I believe if you can afford to have more than 2 children then that is your own business it is surely not for your neighbors or friends or Government to decide for you. And believe me the small tax credit that you get for a child does not have any bearing on having a child, it isnt a drop in the bucket of what it takes to raise a child. So the Government needs to concentrate on more important things than how many children someone has. I do, however believe if someone continues to have children and can not properly take care of them and the Government has to step in and pay to have them taken care of then that person or couple should be penalized or sterilized.
Growing up my parents had 3 children. We lived in a 2 bedroom, one bath, 1200 sq foot home very happily. We had one car, a 4 door sedan, one tv, one radio, one phone. Clothes were dried outside, hand-me-downs and reuse was the name of the game. Fresh garden vegetables, lots of fruit and I do not remember much processed food or fast food at all. I think if anyone thought of a carbon foot print at that time they might have found we had a lower one than a lot of single people have today. It may be the amount of children you have is putting a strain on the environment but I also think that it is our unwillingness to live as simply as possible that is having a much bigger impact.
Legislating how many children Americans have is unconstitutional I am sure, even if the pressure to stop at 2 is thru added taxation not an outright ban.
Also, China, not known for its support of human rights, decades ago ordered its citizens to have only one child. The results were that female babies were left to die so couples could try again for male children. The females who were not killed ended up in orphanages. Now the country has a glut of males in their 20s for whom there is now a shortage of women and jobs. Could be an uprising brewing there?
However, that said, yes we need to have fewer children. Conservationists have said that for many decades! But, Westerners and Americans do not want to take responsibility for a depletion of the earth's resources and the destruction of its land, water and air.
Our demand for the biggest of everything has fueled the most dynamic economy on the planet. The recession has stopped our consumption in its tracks. Now we are suffering because the consumer spending has stopped!
But if we don't get back to profligate spending and the accompanying use of massive quantities of resources and expulsion of by-products which are noxious to our land, we will face a worldwide depression!
We have to come up with a new economy based on something other than the use/buy/spend/pollute/destroy philosophy. The more children we have to support, the harder that will be!
Yes, of course overpopulation is a horrendously serious burden on our planet and its other inhabitants. It doesn't take a genius to do the math; 2 to procreate, so no more than 2 procreated by any of us. If people would wise up and research for themselves all the problems overpopulation of the human species is already causing, they would make the responsible choice to have 2 or less children. If we don't take steps to reduce our growth, then there will eventually have to be government intervention, as has happened in China. So why not make the intelligent, caring, responsible choice, rather than contribute to the global overpopulation problem, which is at the very core of all our problems? Every single one of us, no matter how softly we try to live on this planet, is creating a carbon footprint that stretches far beyond what most realize.
And those of you who take it upon yourselves to take comments like mine personally and choose to be offended by them; those of us who adapt this common-sense approach to the problem are not out to get you, and we value life as much as you; so relax. Stop taking everything so personally and try simply facing facts for a change. The simple fact is, we have too many people on this planet already, and resources are being depleted. Yes, the national debt is appalling and frightening; but so is the burden we are placing on our planet and her resources. Two separate issues that both need serious attention and demand a call to action. And one of many steps each of us can take to drastically improve things for future generations is to limit our family sizes.
Are you then going to legislate what kind of house I can have and how big? How about whether or not I can color my hair or what kind of food and supplements I can buy (codex alimentarius). Maybe you'll tell me I can only purchase tiny, very unsafe fiberglass cars as well, since human life doesn't mean crap to you. See, my submission to your fear is endless because your fear is endless. Tell me, who is worthy to set the boundaries on what is acceptable or not, you, the government? You will never be able to legislate human reproduction in a democracy. Wait that's what we have, right? Are you sure?
I have 3 children. My husband and I were planning on 2 children but my second pregnancy was twins. No, I did not use any fertility drugs. Should my husband be taxed for our third child or lose our tax deduction for him? Nature made the choice for us. I'm happy with my family.
Chris G- what a brilliant idea! Even just taking away the tax benefit given for having additional children after the first 2 might deter some people from having more children. I love children and love the idea of a big family, however, my husband and I have decided to stop at 2 kids. The impact on the environment is definitely there: more kids=larger car, larger house, more food, more clothes, etc. I think that it's way too hardline of a policy to put an absolute moratorium on having more than 2 kids, but there definitely shouldn't be a tax advantage for it.
Shilpa Abbitt are you mormon?? Sorry, but living in UT, the home of SUVs and large familys, I have to assume this! BUT my next comment, goes along with yours.... "focus on the real issue of we are facing a huge debt"
Since it would be tough to enforce the 2 children law, just tax people for each child after 2 instead of giving them more money for more children. Then nothing is banned. Just like everything else in the world, you would just have to pay a price for what you want.
Maybe Patriotic Americans should follow the constitution and not butt into other people's lifestyle choices - of how many kids they have, what they eat, how big a house they have, if they drive a gas guzzler. Patriotic Americans need to focus on the real issue of we are facing a huge debt and killing the American Dream for the next generation and we need to fight Big Government