We now have a new planet to add to the growing list of Earth-like planets that are being discovered by astronomers. Let's call it Planet D in honor of Michelle Duggar, the reality TV star who has 19 children.
On Planet D there's no such thing as overpopulation. The world has infinite space and, more importantly, infinite resources. News of the planet's existence only came to public attention when Michelle Duggar did a web interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network this week. In the interview she disclosed that the world she's living on does not suffer from overpopulation. She further indicated that on Planet D having more children always equals "more joy." Although she did not elaborate, hunger and extreme poverty apparently do not exist on Planet D. Nor do such things as climate change and water scarcity.
Meanwhile back on Planet Earth, nearly 3000 scientists earlier this week gathered in London for a "Planet under Pressure" conference aimed at finding solutions to vexing global problems, including climate change and the challenge of feeding another 2.3 billion people by 2050. Oddly, the conference devoted little or no discussion to the discovery of Planet D. Nor was Michelle Duggar invited to address the conference.
Like the now-debunked news that neutrinos exceeded the speed of light, you would think that the reported discovery of a world with infinite resources would have forced the scientists at the "Planet under Pressure' conference to revisit their calculations and assumptions. If Planet D knows no material bounds, maybe our own planet has infinite resources, a boundless capacity for absorbing carbon emissions, and no practical limits to food production. Maybe all the concerns about one billion people living in extreme poverty are overstated. For that matter, maybe the rapid extinction of plants and animals that scientists are calling the "Sixth Mass Extinction," is just a statistical fluke, an aberration on the road to a world in which creatures great and small will live in ever expanding numbers, abundance and harmony.
Michelle Duggar, of course, is not the only Earthling living on Planet D. Judging by the relative lack of press attention devoted to this week's "Planet under Pressure" conferene and the high ratings received by 19 Kids and Counting, it seems likely that there are many among us who are living on Planet D and largely oblivious to the challenges facing Planet Earth. People would much rather watch the exploits of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children, than the human travails of large families trying to stay alive in drought-stricken Somalia.
Indeed, all of us probably spend more time on Planet D than we care to admit. Few of us have the time, energy, or interest to do anything about the world's problems. But public indifference notwithstanding, the scientists at this week's London conference issued a declaration that contained the following warning:
Research now demonstrates that the continued functioning of the Earth system as it has supported the well-being of human civilization in recent centuries is at risk. Without urgent action, we could face threats to water, food, biodiversity and other critical resources: these threats risk intensifying economic, ecological and social crises, creating the potential for a humanitarian emergency on a global scale.
Let's hope that Michelle Duggar knows vastly more about population and resources than all those scientists.
Pollution has increased and where it may go we don't yet know. Frack this, frack that. There is a dead zone of about 8,000 Sq. Miles and growing at the end of the Mississippi River Delta. Rivers around the world are polluted and Russia has lost most of its Sturgeons. Bird have had empty nests because their shells have not held together, and the world's bee population is endangered. Bees polinate food crops. Without food crops humans become the endangered species.
I mean what do you want? A war, plague, meteor attack? I still say worry about your own breeding and leave the Duggars alone. They take care of those they bring into this world unlike some people.
What is selfish about marrying, having kids and watching your children grow up and have their own families? Humans have been doing this since day 1 along with every other species on the planet. For those of you taking issue with the Duggars, how about you get sterilized and then you can remove yourself from the equation of human reproduction and so called vanquishing resources.
I see Michelle Duggar as a dreamer, out of touch with reality, selfish, irresponsible. Pretty much right up there with Octomom...with the exception that at least she has a husband.
19 children....if they each have 19 children, M & JB will have:
361 grand children....if they each have 19 children, M & JB will have:
6,859 great-grand children.... if they each have 19 children..............
130,321 great-great-grand children....if they each have 19 children...
2,476,099 great-great-great-grand children....................................
In five generations, there would be 2,613,659 direct decendents from Michelle and Jim Bob.
Now, what if just one billion people were to start reproducing like this............because "the world needs more joy"..................Soylent Green anyone?
How many chidren are in Osama Bin Laden's family and what are their views on Western Civilization? That's who you ought to worry about. As far as I know, the Duggars aren't wishing death to the infidels and planning terrorist attacks every chance they get.
In the long run, a world run by those of the Duggar mentality would be as locusts and do far more damage than any so-called terrorists.
While my former religious-faith concept, (The R.C.C.), has invited me to planet 'D', I have declined;
...many times over decades past!
I received a vasectomy, (…w/o previous reproduction) in the mid 90's, back before it was a felony to employ / provide health insurance to (American) citizens.
This is considered a world class ‘crime', (against humanity), in R.C.C.-hierarchal / social circles
Between the vasectomy & masturbation, another alleged ‘human species threat’ (according to a republican assistant to Delaware's democratic state senatorial effort, Christine O’Donnell), and my support for woman’s health & marriage equality, many more threats to the human condition, according to allegedly ‘straight’ public pietists, (whose failures in modern times include buggery & money laundering allegations), I’m just a walking advertisement for dreaded secular humanists!
…However will human civilization live?
But yes, it would be nice if more men were of the dispostion to see overpopulation as a problem and who support the positions he supports.
We must consider the ability of the earth to support the needs of a human population that wants to eat a decent diet. We are now at 7 billion, headed fast for 9 billion by midcentury, and many more beyond. How shall we all eat?
My ‘short’ answer, (NOT to be confused with ‘short ribs’), to that horrendous issue is...
Cannibalism.
While that is a slightly flippant way to acknowledge it, DON’T think for a minute that cannibalism won’t occur...
All it will take is enough people, being hungry enough, often enough!
Humans are obligate omnivores, which is just a fancy way of noting that we’ll eat anything that doesn’t eat us...first!
That is NOT to suggest that I find cannibalism funny/approve of eating one’s fellow
‘Homo.Sapiens.Egotisticae’, (‘Egotistical Man', in arm-chair cladistic-classification-terms).
I was watching the idiot-box last night, (aka, 'TV'), and a discussion-participant mentioned that 'ONLY' 9-10 million children, (...age 0-5, approximately), now starve to death EACH year;
...noting what a ‘fantastic improvement’ such a 'holocaust-like' statistic actually is!
I agree!
The statistics have improved dramatically, despite what appears to be an attempt to cover the earth with excessive human organisms, like a 'Sherwin-Williams' paint logo!
Witness the late Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, (aka, ‘Mother Teresa’), & her amoral-papal-admirer, J. Paul-2, both of whom commented, incessantly, on how ‘contraception’ is some sort of threat to human-kind!
...If only!
They will all grow up with a good education and along the way will not have become gang members or wonder the streets at 3 am. Looking for trouble. No they will grow up to be productive hard working members of society, filling skilled jobs or better yet become business owners creating more jobs for other Americans.
I would any day take a million Duggar style, family value kids, than some other families who have child after child just so they can claim a bigger welfare check to suit their selfish habits, while not caring or loving the kids they bring into this world and not in the least worried where their kids are at 3 am or how many times the end up in juvenal detention or behind bars! I wonder how many records those older Duggar kids have? Probably a few for sports but none for breaking any laws.
This is exactly what America has lost and needs to regain her position in the world as manufactoring powerhouse. And kids like the Duggars filling those position are America only hope to regain her former glory.
Michelle Duggar is the poster child for the excesses, greed, selfishness and oblivion that infects this country. She thinks being devout to her faith is some sort of excuse for her family to consume way more than their share of a finite resource. That means she must dismiss the idea that resources are finite. What would you expect from someone that lives off the charity of others. Until they got their TV show they made themselves ministers, applied for tax exempt status and begged for money on their "church" website. All to support their family and pay for their house.
Personally I'm offended that TLC would enable the excesses of the Duggars by giving them a TV show. I don't understand why people would watch it or sponsors buy advertising time on it.
My issue with them is that they have too many children to give any one of them the time or attention they need as individuals. Instead, they have the older children raising the younger ones. They also rely on a narrow, religious based, home schooling method that presents a limited and biased view of the world, which will NOT prepare those kids to do anything except run the parents' businesses. As far as paying for college? Forget it. Those kids aren't allowed to do anything except online programs.
Granted, the kids are not drug addicts, drop outs, or thieves. But, sadly, they are living in a small, delusional bubble that is as far removed from reality as I have ever seen. For their sake, I hope the business income and reality TV money continue indefinitely, because I don't see any other way these 19 kids will ever be self-supporting.
JMO
I bet the tax payers are on the hook for that one.
Who wants to hear about our future which will be Easter Island on a large scale ?
Unfortunately, human beings are short term thinkers. And which politician would want to campaign on saving the ressources and living more green when citizens just want to hear about growing economy and getting wealthier.
Dinosaurs became extinct and the earth went on. I guess it will be the same after our extinction.