World Population

* In response to Donella Meadows’ Column Left, “We Already Number Too Many,” April 5:

Meadows presents an argument--put forth by Professor David Pimentel--that is certainly timely, compelling and profound. The human population of the Earth is rising at a worrisome rate and, unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any morally acceptable way to deal with this grave problem at this time.

Regretfully, what is missing from her article is the culpability of the United States in this world juggernaut. Clearly it has been a major focus of our government over the last 30 or 40 years to teach, train and/or compel other (non-Anglo) cultures and societies around the globe to accept “our” way.

Unfortunately, and with altruistic delight, our government and too many Americans erroneously believe we’re helping these societies “progress”--America’s reward for helping these societies’ “progress” is, of course, cheap products.

The result of diverting America’s resources--in the form of imports--to these “progressing” societies has been a great increase in their respective populations; the caveat being that these “progressing” societies appear to be hopelessly attached to the American market, i.e., resources that are feeding their families and burgeoning populations. If for whatever reason there is ever a disruption in the American market, and their American umbilical cord is severed, these “progressing” societies are going to have a serious problem on their hands as to how to feed their people.

STEVEN HESTER

Marina del Rey

* Meadows seems to be impressed by the “number-crunching paper” of Pimentel, who says we need to reduce the world population by two-thirds by the year 2100 or we will all be living in poverty, famine and disease. Here are a few numbers she may not have crunched:

If you take the current population of the world (6 billion) and divide it up into families of four (1.5 billion families), then take each of those 1.5 billion families and give them each one acre to live on, the entire population of the world would fit in Australia (2.9 million square miles times 640 acres/square mile equals nearly 1.9 billion acres).

If you took those same families and gave them a three-bedroom house on a suburban-size lot, the entire population of the world would fit in Texas.

These numbers are not what you hear from the “doom and gloom” population control crowd, but you can see by doing your own number-crunching that they are true.

MARK VANDERPLOEG

San Bernardino

* Not to worry, human world population will be reduced to a level that can be permanently sustained by one of only two possible means.

Painlessly, by the use of our superior intellect to apply self-restraint. Or Mother Nature will do it for us. Brutally, the way it does for all living creatures.

ROB PEREZ

Rancho Cucamonga