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SameOldStory · 07-03-2010, 11:48 AM

We all love Jacques Cousteau, right. He cared about the planet. He was also concerned about its people.

And we do have to save the planet, don't we?

What follows is from an interview appearing in the November 1991 UNESCO Courier. I would like to point to that edition but the UNESCO Courier didn't think that it was of any interest. Some web sites say that it doesn't exist.

You can, however, read it by going to Access my Library. If you only see a small part of the article you may have to register, and find a library with the article in it's system, to read it. The link works for me though.

* Some snakes, mosquitoes and other animal species pose threats or dangers for humankind. Can they be eliminated like the viruses that cause certain diseases?

"-- Getting rid of viruses is an admirable idea, but it raises enormous problems. In the first 1,400 years of the Christian era, population numbers were virtually stationary. Through epidemics, nature compensated for excess births by excess deaths.

I talked about this problem with the director of the Egyptian Academy of Sciences. He told me that scientists were appalled to think that by the year 2080 the population of Egypt might reach 250 million.

What should we do to eliminate suffering and disease? It's a wonderful idea but perhaps not altogether a beneficial one in the long run. If we try to implement it we may jeopardize the future of our species.

It's terrible to have to say this. World population must be stabilized and to do that we must eliminate 350,000 people per day. This is so horrible to contemplate that we shouldn't even say it. But the general situation in which we are involved is lamentable."

PS- MAKE UP ANY EMAIL ADDRESS TO REGISTER WITH "Access my Library" TO READ THE ARTICLE.

07-03-2010, 11:48 AM	#538
SameOldStory My True Self Posts: 3,126 Karma: 66242098 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Trantor, Galactic Center Device: Galaxy Tab 2 7.0	We all love Jacques Cousteau, right. He cared about the planet. He was also concerned about its people. And we do have to save the planet, don't we? What follows is from an interview appearing in the November 1991 UNESCO Courier. I would like to point to that edition but the UNESCO Courier didn't think that it was of any interest. Some web sites say that it doesn't exist. You can, however, read it by going to Access my Library. If you only see a small part of the article you may have to register, and find a library with the article in it's system, to read it. The link works for me though. * Some snakes, mosquitoes and other animal species pose threats or dangers for humankind. Can they be eliminated like the viruses that cause certain diseases? "-- Getting rid of viruses is an admirable idea, but it raises enormous problems. In the first 1,400 years of the Christian era, population numbers were virtually stationary. Through epidemics, nature compensated for excess births by excess deaths. I talked about this problem with the director of the Egyptian Academy of Sciences. He told me that scientists were appalled to think that by the year 2080 the population of Egypt might reach 250 million. What should we do to eliminate suffering and disease? It's a wonderful idea but perhaps not altogether a beneficial one in the long run. If we try to implement it we may jeopardize the future of our species. It's terrible to have to say this. World population must be stabilized and to do that we must eliminate 350,000 people per day. This is so horrible to contemplate that we shouldn't even say it. But the general situation in which we are involved is lamentable." PS- MAKE UP ANY EMAIL ADDRESS TO REGISTER WITH "Access my Library" TO READ THE ARTICLE. Last edited by SameOldStory; 07-03-2010 at 12:41 PM.