I do think a lot about the concept of over-population.
I think about it every time I drive to see my parents.
I think about it when really smart
professors tell me that I have too many kids.
Yeah, out here in farm country
-and in much of the US-
that over-crowding thing sure is a big concern.
Truth is, towns are wondering HOW to keep
their young people close, HOW to fund the schools
and HOW to meet the budgets if there aren't more kids.
(Sorry for the blurry photos. I'm in a hurry.
No way that I'm slowing down.
The traffic is horrendous.)
Nothin' but field, after field, after field...
and a few farmhouses and barns and churches.
Cemeteries, too, I guess.
It's flat and brown now, but within
a few weeks the winter wheat will
have colored these fields a verdant green.
By July, the corn will be waving knee-high, at least.
Question: If the farmers stop having kids,
who in turn want to farm...
Who grows the food?
It's an hour's drive from my house to my parent's home.
I took pictures about every 10 minutes or so.
Thing is, I could drive in three different directions
from my home, and never hit much more population
than this - it would take two hours to reach a major town.
Most of the towns are little, boasting only a few hundred people.
Outside of 6 months in Minneapolis, I've never lived in
a huge city. Most of the towns
have only had 600 or so.
Makes me wonder.
Maybe over-population isn't really the problem.
Maybe people just need to spread out more.
I always love to read what you wonder!
ReplyDeleteIt is perplexing to me too!
I loved your pictures, too, by the way!
Leanne
I am linking you to my facebook. I love your points on this. wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAndrea
The dual myths of over-population and man-made climate change make me fear ever more for the unborn. If man is the "problem" then what do you think the "solution" is going to look like? Chilling.
ReplyDeletePS Hope that wasn't too controversial Sometimes I just blurt out my thoughts and then think better of them...
ReplyDeleteLove this Holly! :)
ReplyDeleteI once calculated that you could take the entire population of the planet - yes, all 6+ billion of us, divide it into families of 4, and plop every "family" into 1/4 acre plots into the state of Texas. (according to their listed square acreage) You would then have the land of every other continent/country, as well as the other 49 states for food. So when I hear about over-population I want to laugh. Yeah, Texas is big enough for all of us and then some! LOL
Sorry I haven't been around as much. We lost our Internet connection so we've had to be a bit creative. I don't get to comment on any blogs as much or as often as I'd like, but I wanted you to know I think of and pray for you daily. *hugs*
Well, unlike one poster, I do believe in man-man climate change :-) I don't, however, believe in over-population. Western over-consumption? You bet. But your pictures are worth a thousand words as far as North American being over-populated is concerned...
ReplyDeleteLove this post Holly! Agree completely.
ReplyDeleteOn a related "green" note... we drove to DC (from central IL) 3/13 and returned 3/20 and I concur and I also noted that besides all the open space, farm fields, cattle farms(LOTS of those in WV, MD, VA) there are so MANY trees... yes folks there are milliions of trees, in absolutely no immmediate danger of being cut down! There are dense forests in every state we travelled thru esp. on the east coast. Susan T
dear holly, for so long I wanted to thank you for the supportive comments you left on my blog, your words soothed me. may God bless you. and I wonder how someone can tell you that you are having too many children...God gave you that gift and they are on this world for a certain reason. I do not believe in over-popultaion, I think the problem lies elsewhere...we all have to behave in the best way possible, and God knows best. Love and Peace xxx
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures on your blog, btw.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to this post--YES! You are so right. There are many places with very dense populations, this is true. There always will be because many people prefer to congregate rather than be hermits or farm dwellers. Cities, for instance, will always be crowded. It is the nature of cities to be crowded and crammed and busy and messy, doesn't matter how big or little the whole ofthe human population is.
Ethiopia, too is supposedly one of the most populous countries in the world, with "too many" children being born. The truth is this nation has vast unoccupied areas, and the stripping of farmland and decimation of local economies can easily be attributed to corruption, poor farming practices, wars, war-induced famine, more corruption, introduction of a non-native species of tree, foreign food aid....and on and on. Yet the focus in "aid" groups seems to be "Stop having babies!" as if that would solve all these problems.
What i find most fascinating is that essentially every generation has had it's deep thinkers and scientists who held the same view--"The world can't possibly hold any more humans. One more generation and we are all doomed" Yet they've been proven wrong again and again and again.