Consumption

Richard B. Anderson (Column Left, April 23) adds some interesting perspective. Essentially, Anderson argues that we should give up conspicuous consumption, go back to the basics of food, water and shelter. When our Third World hits 40 billion souls, stabilize population.

I prefer a concept of reducing the population from the current 5 billion to, say, 50 million. With modern technology, all 50 million souls would be rich in terms of basics, do little if any manual labor, be truly free people, have a clean environment and most of the world’s geography would be devoted to other life forms. Human over-population destroys other life forms, it enslaves humans, it reduces life to mere subsistence levels, it subjects the world to famine and enriches its defenders, the religions, capitalists and governments. If not curtailed, it will destroy us all.

MELVIN D. THOMAS

Laguna Hills