Overpopulation

How appropriate that the editorial about runaway world population appeared in the same issue as Martin Marty’s article on the violence tearing at the fabric of civil society (Opinion, Dec. 25).

Unfortunately no one seems to want to acknowledge the connection between the social pressures resulting from overpopulation and the resultant behavior of those affected by it. Armed gangs are clearly fighting for “turf” in the congested inner cities. California cities are close to severe water rationing as a result of the population explosion. In undeveloped countries, tribes have to fight for food, water and firewood, and in so doing are destroying the ecology as well as each other.

JERRY PARKS

Newport Beach

* We have been subjected to the quackery of doomsday preacher Paul Ehrlich ever since his wild predictions of mass starvation in “The Population Bomb” in 1968. Contrary to his predictions of doom, world food prices have been steadily dropping for more than 20 years in response to an increasing supply. According to a recent news magazine report, food supplies are likely to be more than adequate to feed a world population of 10 billion.

Likewise, Ehrlich’s warnings about global warming are baseless, as this “phenomenon” is an artifact of oversimplified computer models of the climate, which fail to be supported by actual climate records.

RON M. KAGAN

Los Angeles

* Your editorial on Christmas Day was music to my ears. Two thousand years ago, a child was a gift to the world. There is certainly great irony in the fact that today the greatest gift to the world may be the will and means to greatly reduce births.

My husband and I have changed our charitable giving. At least half of what we give now goes to family planning.

JANE ROBERTS

Redlands

ROMAN GENN for The Times