5.FreeBirthControlTechniques
ShouldBeAvailableEverywhere
Matthew:Peter,whatsectionsofthepopulationdoyouthinkfreebirthcontroltechniquesshouldbeavailableto?
Peter:Theyshouldbe...availabletoallsectionsofthecommunityer...thingsaregettingtosuchapitchthatIpersonallythinkthat...er...notonlyshouldbirthcontrolmethodsbeavailabletoallsectionsofthecommunity,butindeedshouldbecompulsory.Thereshouldbesomekindoflawwhichsaysthatafamilyshouldnothavemorethanthreechildren,acompletemaximumofthreechildren,iftheyhavethreechildrenthentheymustbeobligedbylaw,almost,tousebirthcontrol,ifnothaveer...variouskindsofoperationwhich...um...makeconceptionimpossible.
Matthew:Butsurelythisveryer...explosiveinsocialterms?
Peter:Itsvery...itsaverytotalitariannotion,butthealternative...ifwelookaroundusintheworldoutsideismillionsofpeoplestarvingtodeathinplaceslikeIndia,andpeoplesufferingfrommalnutritionin...inotherpartsoftheunderdevelopedwor...worldandindeedeveninpartsofthedev...socalleddevelopedworld.
6.ItsaWorldProblem
Therapidriseinworldpopulationisoutcreatingproblemsonlyforthedevelopingcountries.Thewholeworldfacestheproblemthatrawmaterialsarebeingusedtoupatanincreasingrateandfoodproductioncannotkeepupwiththepopulationincrease.Peopleintherichcountriesmaketheheaviestdemandsontheworldsresources,itsfood,fuelandland,andcausethemostpollution.AbabyintheUnitedStateswilluseinhislifetime30timesmoreoftheworldsresourcesthanababyborninIndia.Unlessallthecountriesoftheworldtakeunitedactiontodealwiththepopulationexplosiontherewillbemoreandmorepeoplefightingforashareoflessandlessland,foodandfuel,andthefuturewillbringpoverty,miseryandwartousall.
7.WhatHasCausedthePopulationExplosion?
Themainreasonisnotsomuchariseinbirthratesasafallindeathratesasaresultofimprovementsinpublichealthservicesandbecomeparents,andmanymoreadultsarelivingintooldagesothatpopulationsarebeingaddedtoatbothends.InEuropeandAmericathedeathratebegantofallduringtheIndustrialRevolution.InthedevelopingcountriesofAfrica,AsiaandLatinAmericathefallindeathratedidnotbegintillmuchlaterandthebirthratehasonlyrecentlybeguntofall.
8.TheRichGetRicherandthePoorGetBagies...
Thissuddenincreaseinthepopulationofthedevelopingcountrieshascomeatadifficulttime.Eveniftheirpopulationhadnotgrownsofasttheywouldhavebeenfacingadesperatestruggletobringthestandardoflivingoftheirpeopleuptothepointatwhichtherewasenoughfood,housing,education,medicalcareandemploymentforeveryonetohaveareasonablelife.Thepoorcountriesarehavingtorunfasterandfasterintheireconomicactivityinordertostayinthesameplace,andthegapinwealthbetweenrichandpoorcountriesgrowswidereveryyear.
Themostpressingproblemcreatedbytherapidincreaseinpopulationisashortageoffood.Moremouthshavetobefedeveryyear,andyetahighproportionoftheexistingpopulationarenotgettingenoughoftherightkindoffood.Overthepasttwoyearsthetotalamountoffoodhasdecreased,andofcoursethetotalamountoffoodperpersonhasdecreasedevenmoresharply.
Moreandmoreofthebabiesbornindevelopingcountrieshavebeensurvivinginfancyandnownearlyhalfthepeoplelivinginthosecountriesareundertheageof15.theadultshavetoworkharderthanevertoprovidefortheneedsofthechildren,whocannotcontributedtotheeconomyuntiltheyareolder.Thereisashortageofschoolsandteachers,andtherearenotenoughhospitals,doctorsandnurses.Farminglandisbecomingscarce,socountrypeoplearemovingtothetownsandcitiesinthehopeoffindingabetterstandardofliving.Butthecitieshavenotbeenabletoprovidehousing,andthenewcomersliveincrowdedslums.Finally,therearetoofewjobsandunemploymentleadstofurtherpoverty.