Land, Water And Conflict

Addressing the concerns that no solutions are offered and that population reduction is not discussed: Talking about slowing the population growth rate is in fact about reducing population number over the long term. If you do a statistical analysis of human biological communities, the most effect way to reduce the population is to delay the average age of reproduction by 5-10 years. It beats immigration restrictions, sterilization and reducing the number of children every person procreates. And the best way to delay the reproductive age is by increasing the number of young people, women especially in schools.

This is partly what Dr. Sachs is getting at when talking about the large potential impacts of education programs and other social projects to address shortfalls in water, food and jobs. In the long term, increasing education also increases technological innovation, which will also help alleviate these shortages.

More on education's effect on slowing birth rates:
http://www.brightfuture.us/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=123&Itemid=29

In all the discussion about how the human population is affecting our resources, I have yet to see anyone proposing that the human population be reduced, i.e., decrease the human population, not just slow down its growth rate. Why?

Fascinating indeed. Cant help but wonder what the future will bring to the region. www.FireMe.To/udi

I wonder whether Prfessor Sachs could develop these ideas a little bit more... We all know that the kinds of comples problems that produce and exacerbate the desperate conditions of the poor around the world do not have easy solutions: everyone involved has to change the way they think about the world in both cultura and economic terms. So first, I wonder where should the doctors and engineers Dr. Sachs speaks of come from and what kind of cultural and political preparation does he imagine they will need. Also, what kinds of cultural and political adjustments does he think the people who live in these areas will need to make in order to ensure the succes of these doctors and engineers - or at the very favor a greater degree of progress than we have seen to date?

These clever bundits like G. Sachs leave me with a deep feeling of desperation.
His analysis is damn right. Its the struggle for resources, which is the primary cause of conflict. Refuge to Religion is rather a reaction. My desperation derives from a lack of solutions. Does he really believe that the development of technology can keep pace with the ever faster increasing number of hungry mouths in these places?
And when it does today, wont there be even more hungry people tomorrow?
Religion and conflict somehow go hand in hand. They deal much more with the unterlying causes.
..........reducing the number of hungry people............................