Politics & Current Events
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Re: Michelle Duggar Says Overpopulation Is a Lie
No, I completely understand. You don't think that God would put too many people on the earth. That overpopulation is a myth.
You don't believe in scientific facts, so I'm not going to bother with you either.
" I was simply trying to say that overpopulation is a myth. If everyone left it in God's hands, not everyone would be having 19 kids - they are an exception. "
Is pixy's interpretation wrong?
Vindicated.
Nope. You're wrong. I definitely think that God could put too many people on the earth if it's His will. I just think humans are incapable of doing anything about it. Unless of course we want to stop using fertility drugs, medical technology and other man-made methods for sustaining and creating life. That might make a slight difference, but I think regardless, we're giving ourselves a little too much credit if we think we are in control of things like this.
I am a runner, knitter, scientist, DE-IVF veteran, and stage III colon cancer survivor.
I'm no pixy-hater, but I don't find you vindicated here. It seemed a bit shiitty to bring her up out of the blue. But maybe that's just me.
AW - I love you, and I totally think you get picked on a lot, but I think your previous stance on overpopulation and family planning are probably what people are referring to. I don't agree with the pile-on but I also understand where they are coming from.
Its a dangerous way of thinking given the current state of the planet.
That being said, I believe you when you say your food consumption is probably better than the average persons, even those who eat less meat. I know how important local, organic food is to you. Processed crap is just as environmentally unfriendly as local stuff.
I'm not going to engage in another one of these types of discussions. I don't have the energy tonight. And regardless of how stupid you guys think I am, I AM smart enough to know where this is headed.
Please see my last response to pixy to see what I believe.
It was, I admit. My brain went "fundie misinformation" to "fundie misinformation" and connected the dots.
What does this even mean? I'm eating 1550 calories today. None of it meat. Fairly sustainable, if I do say so myself. I made my own mozzarella for my sandwich, actually.
Just because meat is locally raised and grass fed doesn't mean it doesn't use a large amount of resources. In fact, grazing cattle might use more resources than corn-fed CAFO cows.
40/112
I read your response to pixy. You think we can't control our population through anything but fertility drugs and life saving treatments?
I disagree. Since the introduction of the Pill the fertility rate of developed countries has drastically changed. Our US population is growing from immigration, not procreation. Now, that might be an ok justification for a Duggar claiming that their one gigantic family in America doesn't have much impact, but it doesn't dispel that there is a global population problem.
Also, if you take a resource view, a small family in America is far more damaging to resources than a large one in sub-Saharan Africa.
It actually does because it requires more space. Not only that, but grass fed produces more carbon emissions (green house gas).
http://news.discovery.com/earth/grass-fed-beef-grain.html
I don't really consider AW to be fundie. Maybe I'm alone on that. She has strict adherence to her faith, and beliefs that she applies to herself. But generally speaking, Fundie is a negatively applied word. I think that if AW was to be spouting how her lifestyle should be applied to all, then yeah. Maybe.
As much as I disagree with her, she makes the firm statement of saying her lifestyle is for her and her family.
Zuma Zoom
And you don't think your vegetarian grains (many of which probably aren't grown in this country) don't use large amounts of resources to grow? Or that the milk used for your mozzarella didn't come from a cow that was using up resources?
My point is that if you compare my diet, even with the amount of meat I eat (which considering portions is not a lot), I can guarantee that I consume less and use less resources than most of these people who want to say something bad about my diet. I'm not just talking the amount of land required to grow it, but also the resources used to get it to my door, to package it and preserve it, and to prepare it.
Because of the smell!! That's all I meant! The rank stank of the crowded out houses is all. Yeah! That!
Yes, we're talking average American family. I don't live like the average American family.
Because of the biomass pyramid, vegetables do not take the same resources as animals. It's very easy math.
They require the same resources to make it to our grocery stores and to be preserved.
Wouldn't unwilling be a better word that incapable? Obviously, if every couple had two or less kids, the population would decline, and if everyone had the same number of kids as the Duggars, the population would explode (more), so I don't understand the argument that we aren't in controll. I thought free will was also a fundamental position of Christianity, which implies we as individuals and society can absolutely make choices that influence how things pan out.
I realize you choose not to use birth control, but that's a personal choice, you're still in control of it.
(I'm not trying to bash you here, I just don't understand your position).
Even if I'm stupid?
Condoms are just a theory, y'all!
I thought that pretty much any animal food used more resources innately simply because you are taking into account producing/processing/transporting it AND its food. Even if you are talking about a grass feed animal on land you literally just don't maintain (which really wouldn't be grass literally but whatevs) there is still way more to maintaining a healthy animal vs. healthy plants. When you compare the food per pound per acre, plants go way farther. On top of that, cows, or any larger animal, are going to be the least effective/efficient per acre simple due to their size.
Not that I'm against eating red meat, I love my burgers and bacon, but I'm not going to say its better for the planet to have a bunch of cows versus plants in the same given area.
This is funny because there's a Maxwell House coffee factory downtown. So when we walk from the tailgate to Jags games, it smells like putrid burnt coffee when the wind blows.
Again,
So you were right. Better if everyone stays out. Move everyone shoulder to shoulder in the midwest or something.
I'd look to Bangladesh for astounding evidence of what humans can do to slow population growth. The success of family planning in that (very religious!) country is mind blowing.
I'm no neo-Malthusian but my greatest geographic expertise is the Sahel. So, yeah. Population growth--especially localized population growth without opportunities for migration--is a huge huge problem that is causing very real harms to very real people.
But the production of meat is a greater resource burden to begin with. So the beginning point is not equal.
Please see any of our billion page threads on this lately. :oD