#1 Problem for planet earth...Population. Two billion people when I was born, 7 billion now. We know the problem and have for a long time. When I T.A.ed Natural Environment and Man over 30 yrs ago at UofI, I did a segment on population. I had all the kids come down front and sit shoulder to shoulder at the front of the auditorium. I had two rats on an overhead projector (cool one) that provided additonal entertainment regarding adaptation. I then gave the stats on population demographics. It was very clear then we were over shooting the carrying capacity of the planet. I had a lot of comments on my teaching method. ;) Absolutely no one wants to hear this issue, even my friends eyes glaze and they turn on the ball game on TV. Barring a comet, development of a new bug, the loss of honeybees, or something similiar, I continue to believe our only hope is to educate young girls...and wait for the old geezers to die. Once educated, women take control of their reproduction and decide to have fewer children. I believe this is the only politically viable pathway to a much lower density planet. There are a lot of factors working against this pathway...another books worth...but show me another politically viable path. Sierra club should be up front and loud, working with ZPG and elevating the issue. imo Ed - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/