The elephant in the room

Despite the increasing noise and thus awareness of the climate crisis, it feels as if everyone is doing all they can to avoid talking about the 7.5 billion pound elephant in the room; the exponentially increasing human population.

Without having to draw a very long bow, surely this inescapable fact is the beginning, middle and end of our seemingly insurmountable problems. More people mean more land cleared for more food production, more mining, more energy consumption and more housing.

Yes, we need to find alternative sources of energy, more efficient means of food production, and to reduce, if not eliminate, our waste. But surely if population expansion slowed then demand for resources would follow.

How is it that there are constant conversations regarding the humaninduced threat to the environment, yet noone seems to talk about the wholesale reduction of demand for these finite and very fragile resources.

When such a small change in lifestyle (the societal rejection of single use plastic bags) has Martin van Beynen nostalgic over his loss (Feb 2) and causes him such embarrassment and angst, how on earth are we going to address an issue as big as ‘‘please don’t have so many babies’’.

As Martin said, less the disdain and sarcasm, I can’t wait.

Nathan Hales, Upper Hutt