PLANETARY PLUNDER: It's NOT OVERPOPULATION so Much as it is The LIFESTYLES of THE WEALTHY

[Panaconda]

Western Lifestyles Plundering Tropics at Record Rate, WWF Report Shows



Living Planet report shows planet's resources are being used at 1.5 times the rate nature can replace them

by Juliette Jowit

The Earth's population is using the equivalent of 1.5 planets' worth of natural resources, but the long-term decline of animal life appears to have been halted, a WWF report shows.

The latest Living Planet report, published today by the conservation group, also reveals the extent to which modern Western lifestyles are plundering natural resources from the tropics at record levels.

The report shows shows the impact of living off the planet's "savings": in the last 40 years human consumption has doubled, while the Living Planet index - measuring the decline and increase of thousands of species on land, in rivers and at sea - has declined by 30% overall, and by a massive 60% in the tropics.

However the index -compiled by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and likened to a stockmarket charting the progress of the natural world - shows that animal populations have risen significantly in the richer nations in the temperate zones north and south of the tropics, and globally appear to have stabilised in the last few years.

...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/oct/13/human-impact-wwf-living-planet?intcmp=122




* We see from the U.N. statistics on consumption distribution (on the first consumption page; that the world's wealthiest 20% consume 86% of the world's resources while the poorest 20% consume just a miniscule 1.3%), that it is not most of the world consuming the resources.

* While growing populations naturally place more demands on resources, it is not as simple a reasoning to say that we are overpopulated, or that the poor and heavily populated poor nations are the causes of the environmental degradation, as some automatically conclude.

* Much degradation may be occurring in the poor countries, but global trade and economic models include a lot of enforced export out of poor nations to the centers of capital, where, as per the above U.N. statistics, most of the consumption is done.

...

Hence, even other issues, such as population-related issues should consider the impact of consumption on the planet more importantly and analyze where that consumption is taking place. Of course, if the entire world's population were to consume in similar ways to the wealthiest, then we would no doubt have even more environmental problems than we are already facing and in relation to how we consume we would have a serious over population issue. Yet, the roots of this would be in how resources are consumed etc, rather than just population growths and declines.

Consumption modes, the political and economic models that support certain ways of consumption therefore have a far greater impact on the environment than “over” population, alone.

...

http://www.globalissues.org/article/242/wasted-wealth-capital-labor-and-resources

[leftstreet]

1. K&R

[Hannah Bell]

2. and of the wealthiest 20%, the wealthiest in that group consume the majority of resources as well.

e.g. the superrich typically have several homes, all the size of 10 normal homes.

they use private jets to flit around the world at will, i.e. to have lunch in paris on a whim. they have closets full of clothing they wear once & forget about. their water bills for lawns & gardens are astronomical.

they encourage environmentally destructive farming, transport, health care & other social policies because those are good for their bottom lines.

they hold up consumption as a marker of social status because its good for their bottom lines.

they use environmentally destructive war to consolidate their holdings, set populations against populations, families against families, & produce refugees & scarred people on an assembly line.

the international ruling class = lizard people.

[valerief]

3. +666 trillion

[me b zola]

4. K&R

[Catherina]

5. I love you Panaconda! I am so sick of hearing Americans who consume

the majority of the world's resources complain that there aren't enough resources and lecturing the nations we exploit about overpopulation.

[Count Olaf]

7. me too!!

n/t

[Catherina]

10. It just goes on and on in a neverending way

""The world today has 6.8 billion people... that's headed up to about 9 billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15 percent."

- Bill Gates


It's always the fault of the most defenseless ones. CO2 emissions? Blame the poor in Africa and Latin America. Tell them to reduce their populations so you can steal from them more easily. Why is nothing ever the fault of profit-making industry? Or an excessive, artificial automotive culture?


THE ANIMALS SEIZED WITH THE PLAGUE


.........An evil that spreads terror round,
.........An evil heaven in fury found,
To scourge the crimes of nations lost to shame ;
The plague—since we must call it by its name,
That in a day can glut the throat of hell,
Made war on animals, and sick they fell.
All did not die, but all were struck with death,
And no one cared to hold the parting breath.
Careless, and ready to expire,
No dish excited their desire ;
The wolf and fox no longer stray,
To seize the mild and harmless prey ;
The turtles fled each other, coy.;
No more love was then, nor joy.
"Dear friends," the lion, holding council, cries,
" This scourge, I fear, must from our crimes arise ;
Let then the blackest of us all in vice
Self-offered, straight to heavenly vengeance fall,
Which may bring health again to all.
We learn from history, some nobly great,
Thus freely died to save a falling state :
Then let us all, without disguise, begin
To view the state our consciences are in.
To satisfy my gluttony, I own
Many a sheep I've gobbled down :
They, weak and harmless, never injured me ;
Nay, I have ate sometimes—in murder deeper—
Their honest keeper.
If need, I'll therefore now the victim be ;
But let me say that all, as well as I,
Should spread their crimes before the councils eye,
Because the guiltiest only ought to die."
" Sire," cried the fox, " you are too good a king,
Your doubts from too much delicacy spring.
Eating mere mutton, worthless silly sheep,
Is that a sin ? Should that disturb your sleep ?
Far from your majesty these humble tones ;
You did them honour when you cracked their bones.
As to the shepherd, were he here, I'd tell him
He well deserved the evil that befell him ;
As one of those who hold a fancied sway
Over the beasts that are a common prey."
Thus spoke the fox, while flattering peers stood round.
They did not therefore dare to sound
The lesser crimes of chiefs assembled there,
Such as the tiger, wolf, and bear ;
The wrangling race, to curs of common kind,
All passed for saints, as each explained his mind.
The ass came in his turn, and thus did say :
" I have some slight remembrance, that one day,
Passing some meadows that to monks belong,
Hunger was urgent, and the grass was new,
Pushed on, I fancy, by some demon too,
I cropped therein the bigness of my tongue ;
Since I must speak, I own that I was wrong."
" Stop thief ! " they cried, and all the ass impeach.
A lawyer-sort of wolf proved by a speech
That they that cursed animal must kill,
A scabbed wretch, the cause of all their ill.
What dreadful crime ! eat other people's grass !
So for a hanging case they made it pass ;
Nothing but death could for the deed atone,
Which to the ass was quickly shown.
According as you're feeble, or have might,
High courts condemn you to be black or white.


Jean de La Fontaine, Fables, VII, 1 (XVIIème siècle)
http://www.la-fontaine-ch-thierry.net/sevnanimalsheron.htm

[Starry Messenger]

12. I was trying to find that Gates quote for this thread.

Thank you for digging that up. How come none of these fuckers ever volunteer to go first when they talk about eliminating population?

[Catherina]

13. Because thay are the *fittest*, the *superior* ones, the only ones worthy to live

How come indeed!

[Panaconda]

19. That quote

deserves a thread of it's own. Bill Gates philanthropist. Yippee!

Now someone tell me again how they could trust this kook with "education reform?"

[Count Olaf]

20. I started a few threads on this and they got moved to "health"

Bill Gates says vaccines can help reduce world population
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x94124

[texastoast]

6. "the long-term decline of animal life appears to have been halted"

Whut?

I think we need to talk to the polar bears, wolves, snow leopards, tigers, and maybe the Florida panthers and ask them how they feel about that statement.

[Count Olaf]

8. Thank you!!

:applause:

[Starry Messenger]

9. k & r

[RainDog]

11. kick

this is why disaster will not be averted - because it will cause the rich some displeasure.

how fucking sick is that?

[maryf]

14. K&R

We have to stop this!!! Capitalism is killing too many, too much...

[onethatcares]

15. is it possible to pull back from the abyss?

to just take your own family and begin to live a better lifestyle by giving up the things you enjoy now? Toss the teevee, beat the computer to death, drive only the minimal amount, plant a garden, conserve, recycle, reuse and in short become planetary concerned person.

I know I have a hard time minimalizing just myself. When I add my kids, grandkids, spouse and dogs into the equation, it gets overpowering.

Hopefully there is a tier I can reach and remain. What do you think about your lifestyle?

Peace

[maryf]

16. It would only help individual families for a short time...

instead of isolating, we all need to unify, to solidify our strength in our numbers, the system has to be overhauled. Of course minimize as you can, but if you make that your main focus, instead of the fact that the cancer has to be cut out whole, the disease of capitalism will kill you, in some way, wherever you try to hide. Think of the environmental issues, like mountain topping, hydro-fracking, oil drilling, how many eco disasters can there be before huge sections of the planet are dead? And its the source behind these disasters we have to look at...the profit mongers. Why doesn't everyone have health care, the profit mongers worry about profit loss, Why do we have any homeless? the profit mongers lose profit if they provide affordable housing...why are the teachers being slammed? because someone has figured out a way to make a profit off of the education of our kids, while training those kids to supply the service the owners need, including ample cannon fodder to protect their oil and mineral interests. Eliminate profit and the profit mongers will be no more...

sorry for the rant, and do what you can, but always remember the source, it's a very tiny number of people who are pushing for all this, and its a very large number of people who need socio-economic justice. Solidarity with the people is what we need....

[Hannah Bell]

17. no one person or one family can stand alone against global capital.

eventually it's coming to get you & yours, one way or another.

counter-force & counter-organization is needed.

[Count Olaf]

18. K&R

:kick:

[maryf]

21. Morning kick

this is critical stuff for folks to consider, thanks again Panaconda...

[TBF]

22. K&R nt

[Count Olaf]

23. another

:kick: