Populate and Perish

Collected letters

2012-01-07T15:13:00.001+11:00

A new year begins. If there is one unfortunate certainty, it is that there will be more people in the world at its end. A round up of letters, mostly from The Age, on population and urban planning issues: 5/11: Constant growth cannot continue THE UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s warnings on the global decline of food production should remind us that no food supply is infinite (“Hard to

Australia as a relief valve

2011-12-15T17:08:00.003+11:00

“When leaving home is the only way out”, The Age, 15/12. Economic migrants deserve no sympathy in my view. They should stay at home and fix their own problems! Emigration has long been the Irish escape at times of greatest hardship. More than 2 million people fled the country during the Great Famine of the 1840s; half a million in the 1950s; and 200,000 during a downturn in the late 1980s. The

Who are the real vandals?

2011-12-15T07:23:00.003+11:00

“Mornington vandals cause $500k damage”, The Age (also ABC News, H-S). Vandals attacked and damaged road construction equipment for the controversial Peninsula Link in Frankston. This is the same freeway that was brutally bulldozed through the Westerfield heritage woodlands last year (see 10/7/2010, 24/10/2010 entries), despite a protest campaign. If this is a “targeted” attack, rather than

High-rise hell

2011-11-26T14:44:00.002+11:00

Some letters from the last few weeks: 6/11: Ever-thinner slices THE latest United Nations human development index (“Not quite Norway, but still a great place to call home”, theage.com.au, 3/11) shows it is clear that a nation’s population has little relationship to its ultimate economic strength. Countries that are better off per capita than Australia are smaller - Austria, Sweden, Denmark,

Collected letters

2011-11-05T15:06:00.000+11:00

From the Herald-Sun, 2/11: SEVEN billion people now three billion when I was a boy – scary statistic not to be applauded. – Jocko, Frankston SEVEN billion people and the leaders at CHOGM talk about anything but the gross overpopulation of our planet. Who will be the first leader to state a plain birth-control policy in an attempt to reduce world poverty. Birth control and cessation of IVF will

The day of 7 billion

2011-10-31T12:49:00.001+11:00

Today is that inauspicious day. Though it is a rough estimate at best (Cosmic Log: “7 billion people? How do they know?”) – I would think there are thousands more not counted for various reasons. “Our number’s up, and that could be a procreation-led disaster”, The Age. Opinion piece saying that there needs to be marketing campaigns to persuade women to have fewer children. (Best comment: “

An unnecessary expense

2011-10-26T13:26:00.001+11:00

“IVF cuts result in 1500 fewer babies”, The Age. In this week of 7 billion, I look at that as a positive outcome – 1500 humans not born and adding to an already overstressed environment. Government funding for IVF treatments should be stopped altogether in my view; it is an indulgence that society does not need. Some comments from the article that agree: We have a global population problem,

Deluded environmentalism

2011-10-17T10:52:00.000+11:00

“Be Afraid. Experts Discuss Hallowe’en Population Doomsday” (PPF/Huffington Post, 1/10) contains various opinions on how the world will cope with continuing population growth. Of note is the opinion of an environmental reporter, Fred Pearce: “The issue for me is about consumption, for which there are worrying statistics. We are not overpopulated in an absolute sense, we’ve got the technology for

The month of 7 billion

2011-10-01T14:38:00.003+10:00

Sometime this month the population reaches an estimated 7 billion, the most people the Earth has ever had – and it continues to increase, at great detriment to the environment we all depend upon. I cannot feel optimistic about the future – i.e. that humans will manage to radically change their attitude and society. Things will likely continue on the same self-destructive path until the

Collected letters

2011-10-01T13:51:00.001+10:00

Another truckload of letters! 22/8: Concerns about food security and foreign investors buying up Australian farmland, and on proposed development in national parks by a greedy Liberal government. Tenants in our own country THE sale of agricultural land to foreign investors is helping to kill off family farming across Australia (“Concern as foreign buyers secure agricultural land”, The Saturday

Future nightmare

2011-08-20T12:29:00.000+10:00

A brief but alarming article hidden in the depths of the 19/8 Herald-Sun: People tipped to top 10bn The world population will reach seven billion later this year, with increases in the number of people in Africa offsetting a drop in the birth rate elsewhere, according to a new French study. Looking much further ahead, the National Institute for Demographic Studies predicts a continuing rise

Paving over Victoria

2011-08-16T15:48:00.000+10:00

The continuing development and destruction of Victoria’s green spaces leaves me (and many others) in a frustrated rage. The current Government continues this policy, wanting to put up for development the Green Wedges around Melbourne – corridors established over 3 decades ago to provide some environmental breathing space. Unfortunately the deliberate encouraging of population growth (

A broken society

2011-08-16T14:46:00.005+10:00

The madness of last week’s London riots appears to be mostly contained, but the many issues that provoked it are unlikely to be resolved soon (if ever). Some of the rioting was simple criminal opportunism, but a lot of it was a venting of frustration from people who have few prospects and no say in their society. Is overpopulation one of the contributing factors? I would argue, yes – in my 18/7/

Terra Nova

2011-07-30T15:31:00.001+10:00

There is a TV series of interest coming out late September called Terra Nova. Refugees from the year 2149, seeking to escape their ruined world, find a way to time travel back to prehistoric Earth and begin anew. The Earth in this future is overcrowded and overdeveloped, with most other species extinct – a scenario similar to the Avatar movie (and Stephen Lang, the actor who was “Colonel Quaritch

Food security

2011-07-22T13:00:00.000+10:00

“Great Tully sugar sell-off proves bittersweet”, The Australian, 6/7. The topic of food security has been getting some media attention in Australia recently, due to people realizing that foreign companies are purchasing vast tracts of farmland here. This means that food grown here by them will be sent overseas. Add this to the foolish government policy of letting developers build over arable land

Famine crisis

2011-07-22T12:30:00.000+10:00

A famine has been declared in the Horn of Africa region, due to drought (possibly climate change-related). Around 12 million people are affected. Such a disaster shows what a liability high populations become when the food supply is threatened. Imagine this happening in a developed country – say, if the food supply was cut off for some reason – and the chaos that would ensue. As I have asserted

Needless destruction

2011-06-27T13:32:00.004+10:00

“Auditor hits $2b road project”, The Age, 2/6. The controversial Frankston bypass road project (see 24/10/2010 entry) was condemned by the state Auditor-General as unnecessary. The promised economic benefits of the multibillion-dollar freeway may have been overstated and its potential negative impacts ignored, according to a report by the state Auditor-General, Des Pearson. In a landmark finding

Stop at two!

2011-06-05T18:00:00.000+10:00

A dismaying article from last week’s local newspaper, Moorabbin Leader, not published on their site: Is three the new two? Going for number three? It seems more Aussie parents are opting for a third child Many families are answering former Treasurer Peter Costello’s call to have one for mum, one for dad and one for the country. According to demographer Dr Rebecca Kippen from Melbourne University

Collected letters

2011-06-02T16:24:00.001+10:00

28/5, Australian: Small is better The most consistently prosperous and stable countries with the best quality of life have been the smaller nations of Europe – Switzerland and the Scandinavian states. A big population does not automatically lead to national wealth and it certainly doesn’t enhance quality of life. People in the over-populated regions of the world are fleeing not just to escape

Breed for your country

2011-06-01T18:14:00.000+10:00

“Trucking magnate Lindsay Fox urges Australians to have more children”, H-S, 25/5. Stupid remark from a greedy businessman whose company stands to profit from population growth. He has 6 children, so his environmental credentials are nil. Herald-Sun, 25/5: In 1900, when my grandmother was a young girl, the world’s population was about 1.5 billion. In 1950, when I was born, the world’s population

Baby bribery

2011-04-30T12:33:00.002+10:00

“Dump baby bonus, says Anglican Church’s key advisory group”, Herald-Sun, 28/4 (ABC article also). This proposal by (surprisingly) a religious organization drew much controversy. Unfortunately the wasteful bonus looks here to stay, with both major political parties (Labor and Liberal) saying they would not abolish it – despite the considerable savings to be made if they did (278,000 baby bonus

Victoria: open borders

2011-04-03T11:51:00.003+10:00

“Interstate raiders buying up Melbourne properties”, 2/4. More unwelcome competition for housing – but Premier Ted Bailleu reveals his true colors in this remark: Despite pressure on housing affordability from rapid population growth, Premier Ted Baillieu said he was not about to close Victoria’s borders. He said he would never “put up the stop sign” to curb population growth, but warned

Collected letters

2011-03-16T13:59:00.002+11:00

A lengthy backlog of printed letters from mostly The Age, collected from the last 3 months, on overpopulation, overdevelopment and property planning issues. Unfortunately, none of the few I sent were published. (I just found out how to make cuts so I don’t clog up the front page with long entries!) 14/12/2010: Smallest of creatures plays a big role Golden sun moths, like canaries in coalmines,

Urban nightmares

2011-03-12T15:21:00.000+11:00

“The future is a high-rise world”, The Age, 22/12/2010. I have come to detest architects in general; most seem to be enraptured by the idea of cramming millions of humans into futuristic hi-tech cities, and rendering utopian artwork of such. One of the most extreme examples is that of housing up to one million people in a single tower in London (architect’s webpage) to accomodate its growing

Fill ’er up

2011-03-09T18:23:00.001+11:00

Another backlog of articles and such to list! I have neglected posting out of sheer despair; I feel so powerless and insignificant as nothing I say can do anything to change the government’s policies. “No ‘we are full’ sign for Melbourne”, The Age, 7/3. With tedious predictability, Ted Baillieu’s Liberal Government has decided not to do anything to restrict Melbourne’s population growth as it is

Livable – for now

2011-01-23T13:47:00.004+11:00

Adelaide was voted Australia’s most livable city, with Sydney getting the most negative votes. Population growth has contributed to the latter, and Melbourne is not far behind in increasing unliveability. The surveyors were the Property Council of Australia, a body which has a vested interest in promoting growth. Adelaide has a comparatively small population – a major factor in its livability –

The year of 7 billion

2011-01-17T11:52:00.001+11:00

2011 marks a dismal milestone, in that the estimated population of humans will reach 7 billion, a near-unimaginable number for which the Earth’s environment is suffering. World population estimates at Wikipedia shows the huge growth in the 20th century: in 1900 there was an estimated 1.6 billion; only 101 years later that has increased nearly seven times (despite various wars and revolutions

Collected letters

2010-12-08T14:01:00.001+11:00

A selection of letters from The Age, most on the planning issues mentioned in my previous entry. 26/10: Protecting liveability It is possible to accommodate growth without significantly changing the shape and character of Melbourne (“Baillieu pledges to curb high-density”, The Age, 25/10). Professor Rob Adams and his team have provided a blueprint in their report “Transforming Australian Cities

Land grab

2010-12-08T13:23:00.002+11:00

If there is one job occupation I have come to loathe and despise above all others, it is that of property developer. Opportunistic scum who care nothing for the environment or sensitive architectural design and are only out to make a profit – I would like to see them rounded up and burned at the stake! My neighborhood, like nearly all others, is being ruined by developers buying up homes, razing

Deceptive advertising

2010-12-08T12:48:00.001+11:00

Haven’t been posting a while for the usual reasons, so I have another backlog of articles. I just get so frustrated that so many people, including those in power, are in denial about the population issue. Found an organization, PopDev, through a blog entry. At first glance they appear to be concerned about population growth, but reading through it reveals they are more the opposite – namely that

Environmental atrocity

2010-10-24T12:39:00.005+11:00

The Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve has been decimated as the Frankston Bypass freeway construction now cuts through the once-pristine bushland. A photo gallery documents the destruction; it is a depressing sight. Two photos below show before and a simulated after (once the freeway is built): Shame, shame, shame on this heartless uncaring government. Its environmental credentials are a farce.

8 million too many

2010-10-24T12:12:00.000+11:00

“Time for Melbourne to think about its population surge”, Herald-Sun, 19/10. An alarming prediction that a population of 8 million in Melbourne is inevitable by 2060. A “business think-tank” is promoting such growth. Committee for Melbourne chief executive Andrew MacLeod said a doubling of Melbourne’s population over the next 50 years was a “normal” rate of growth. He slammed suggestions the

Collected letters

2010-09-17T11:58:00.000+10:00

A collection of letters from The Age: 6/8: Proponents must prove benefits I agree with Ross Gittins (“Stop beating about bush and talk about Big Australia”, 4/8). Bipartisanship on immigration has prevented Australia from having a formal population policy. The size and rapidity of Australia’s population growth affects just about every aspect of Australian quality of life. Australia should have a

Bad decision

2010-09-17T11:44:00.000+10:00

“Ageing China flags truce in one-child revolution”, The Age, 13/9. Some dismaying news that China is easing its 1-child policy because of alarm over who will look after their aging population. Perhaps they should consider alternatives such as developing helper robots. Their population is still growing, however: By 2050 India is expected to have grown to 1.75 billion people compared with China’s

Collected letters

2010-09-12T13:52:00.001+10:00

Arrogant architect

2010-08-14T12:32:00.001+10:00

“A contrarian with a big idea for mankind”, The Age, 14/8 (scanned in as I could not find the article online). The architect profiled here, Austin Williams, surely is the embodiment of arrogance and hubris, and reinforces my general dislike of his profession. His attitude is still prevalent amongst business and governments. The British architect is a firm believer in global population growth and

Myopic fools

2010-08-01T12:42:00.002+10:00

“City to ‘grow’ 134,000 homes on farmland”, The Age, 30/7. I was infuriated enough to send a letter to the paper, but so far it hasn’t been published: The Brumby Government and Opposition have demonstrated that they are nothing but environmental vandals in thrall to greedy developers by allowing expansion of Melbourne’s urban boundaries. Their short-sighted stupidity of allowing more open

Seven billion and counting

2010-08-01T12:14:00.001+10:00

With dismaying inevitability, the world’s population is to officially to top 7 billion in 2011 (The Age/NYT), and continue climbing to 9 billion by mid-century. (The SBS TV channel will have to update its slogan, “Six billion stories and counting…”) Yet they are still worried about an aging population! It’s a demographic hump that will just have to be dealt with – increasing the birthrate and a

Collected letters

2010-07-10T12:21:00.001+10:00

A backlog of letters from The Age concerning environmental destruction, population growth, immigration and new PM Julia Gillard. 22/6: Two letters on the Green Wedges, remnant volcanic grasslands now under threat from development no thanks to Brumby & Co. Land grab stance is a pox on the two major parties Before the 2006 election, Liberal, ALP and Greens MPs surveyed by the Green Wedges

Vanishing bushland

2010-07-10T11:54:00.002+10:00

“Freeway builders admit damage to wetlands area”, The Age, 8/7. The Frankston Bypass, mentioned in my 12/1/2010 entry, is continuing construction despite protests, and the incompetent builders managed to raze part of a wetlands reserve. One wonders if this were done “accidentally on purpose”. One can only feel frustration and anger at the Brumby Government’s maniacal obsession with building roads

Collected letters

2010-07-08T18:22:00.000+10:00

Herald-Sun, 7/7: Birthrate the main culprit The credibility of those who joyfully welcome the arrival of new members to their own families, yet oppose the influx of asylum seekers on the basis of a perceived ensuing strain on Australia’s resources, is untenable. If increasing population levels are indeed stressing infrastructural sustainability, then the national birthrate is the chief culprit,

Victims of growth

2010-07-07T19:04:00.001+10:00

Two examples of how human population growth is negatively impacting native fauna in Australia (who arguably have more right to the land than the foreign-born or -descended humans who now inhabit it). “Fears cassowary may vanish”, The Age, 24/6. The habitat of endangered Cassowary birds in North Queensland is under threat from housing. This only adds to my hatred of greedy property developers and

First female (childfree) PM

2010-07-07T18:30:00.003+10:00

Haven’t felt like writing due to the usual frustration and despair, so I have accumulated another backlog of articles. So Australia has a new Prime Minister, and the first woman PM, at least until the actual Federal Election sometime this year. Julia Gillard is unmarried (she has a partner) and childless by choice, which is certainly a first for a national leader “I wasn’t someone who in my

Thou shalt not breed

2010-06-20T12:18:00.003+10:00

“Thou shalt not breed: Anglicans”, The Age, 9/5. The Anglican Church caused a minor flurry in May when it issued a statement saying that the baby bonus was environmentally irresponsible and should be scrapped (replaced by paid parental leave). Wading into the population debate, the General Synod of the Anglican Church has warned that current rates of population growth are unsustainable and

Environmental vandals

2010-06-20T11:55:00.000+10:00

“Australia’s global footprint one of the worst”, The Age, 6/5. The discovery and settlement of Australia by European explorers was arguably the most disastrous event in the continent’s history – for both its environment and indigenous population – and the destruction is still ongoing. The Federal and State Governments’ supposed concern about the environment is just empty rhetoric. Greens Senator

Collected letters

2010-06-20T11:40:00.000+10:00

A collection of letters from The Age over the last 2 months. 18/5: Stable population key to our future In an act of seemingly good planning and policy, hundreds of homes will be added to three of Melbourne’s largest public housing estates at a time when the waiting list for public housing is nearing 40,000 (“Public housing gets boost”, The Age, 17/5). The crisis at all levels of housing means

Fat city

2010-06-11T12:23:00.001+10:00

A short news article from the 10/6 The Age on a statement by MP Kelvin Thomson: Melbourne growing obese: Labor MP Federal Labor MP Kelvin Thomson has described Melbourne as “obese” in a scathing attack on the Victorian government’s decision to expand the urban boundary by thousands of hectares. “Melbourne is becoming an obese, hardened-artery parody of its former self. Extending the urban growth

Cramped city

2010-05-03T13:01:00.000+10:00

Tokyo’s population has reached an astonishing 13 million (13.1 million as of 1/4), packed into a dense urban area of 2000 km² (Victoria, in contrast, has 3.4 million people in nearly 9000 km²). I suppose some would say that such density is an efficient use of space, but to me it sounds nightmarish. Granted, Japan has a cultural mindset that allows people to mostly live civily in such crowded

Housing greed

2010-04-27T14:58:00.001+10:00

“Foreign home buyers backflip”, The Age, 24/4. The Federal Government reversed its baffling decision to allow foreign investors to buy homes in Australia unimpeded. Though I have to wonder if this is due in part to an election taking place later this year. I am utterly sick of this country’s obsession with housing – more accurately, the property market being regarded as a form of wealth

Population Minister

2010-04-08T12:38:00.001+10:00

On 3/4, PM Kevin Rudd announced the appointment of a Population Minister, in the form of Tony Burke, who is already Minister for Agriculture. It seems that, in an election year, he is realizing that his assertion of supporting a “big Australia” is at odds with the views of many citizens. Whether this appointment actually achieves anything seems dubious; it appears more of an appeasement to such

Too popular

2010-04-01T15:26:00.001+11:00

There’s been a steady deluge of articles about the population debate, as well as a related issue: housing affordability. Problem is, while the debate drags on, the population continues to grow. The housing shortage is directly attributable to growth, but no politician is game to drastically change the system. For me it is dismaying to see the older houses and gardens in my suburb and others be

Collected letters

2010-04-01T14:58:00.002+11:00

Some letters. I tried sending two in but neither got published. Herald-Sun: 19/3: I agree with Ian Thomas (50/50, March 17), the world should be practising zero (or even negative) population growth. Governments promote population expansion purely for monetary reasons, not the environment. The world cannot sustain such a large population. – J. Meulblok, Buckley 29/3: Rudd not tuned in on

Shrinking towns

2010-03-24T13:08:00.004+11:00

A thread at MetaFilter, “Wolves, neo-Nazis and Germany’s population crash”, had links to articles about towns facing demographic collapse (in this case, parts of Detroit being bulldozed into farmland, and some towns in East Germany being deserted). I can’t see this as a bad thing (and bear in mind that the world’s population continues to increase inexorably). There’s a comment comparing

Crowding us in

2010-03-21T15:16:00.000+11:00

“Two good to be true”, H-S, 14/3. Some scientific evidence demonstrating that smaller families (one or two children) are better for parents’ health! “Overpopulation the great unmentionable in Queensland politics”, Courier Mail, 16/3. Queensland is one of the most populous states and the strain is showing (as with Victoria), yet its deluded politicians still promote growth. One of the comments

Ageing alarmism

2010-03-14T12:00:00.001+11:00

The topic of Japan’s shrinking and ageing population seems to be brought up on a regular basis in the news. This lengthy article (via) at a Japan blog is a somewhat gloomy portrayal of a town with a declining population. But the country’s population is still over 127 million crammed onto 4 small earthquake-prone islands, so surely a population decline should be viewed positively! As for the

IVF timebomb

2010-02-23T13:51:00.001+11:00

“Infertility time bomb: IVF children have higher risk of infertility, obesity and diabetes”, Daily Mail, 23/2. There is some evidence that infertility problems can be passed on genetically for IVF-conceived children, as well as health problems caused by the procedure itself. “There are genetic causes of infertility that you can pass on,” said Dr. Van Steirteghem. “It means that the next

Population political party

2010-02-21T17:46:00.000+11:00

“How many is too many? Australia’s people problem”, SMH, 19/2. A Sydney businessman named William Bourke is, like Dick Smith (see 26/1/2010 entry), concerned with overpopulation, to the point where he says he is launching a population-focused political party, named the Stable Population Party of Australia (some details at this entry in the PublicPopForum; they have an as-yet-unused site

Kelvin Thomson speech

2010-02-16T14:42:00.000+11:00

MP Kelvin Thomson, one of the few politicans concerned about overpopulation, made an excellent speech at a Sustainable Population Australia meeting on 10/2 (also reproduced at the PublicPopForum). One of the points he makes is that the alarm over an ageing society is misguided. “New party wants population debate”, SMH, 8/2. Another concerned businessman, William Bourke, proposes a new political

Community disillusionment

2010-02-04T13:35:00.003+11:00

I am increasingly irritated with the Childfree Hardcore LJ community. I posted an entry about a woman musing whether to have more children (a 4th). There have been similar entries from others concerning overpopulation and/or large families (example: “Octomom”), so I thought it relevant. Apparently not, according to some commenters. I find it strange that a community that exists for people who do

Population debate

2010-02-04T13:33:00.001+11:00

Published letters collection. Some of the following letters refer to a series of population debates held on The 7.30 Report last week (which can be viewed in the January 2010 archive). I did not watch these as I would only feel frustrated – a lot of talk, but nothing serious done to reverse population growth. SMH, 3/2: Today’s migrants are tomorrow’s seniors Yes, we have a looming crunch as the

Stop breeding!

2010-01-26T08:11:00.004+11:00

“Dick Smith says Australia should cut population by slashing immigration and encouraging women to have only two babies”, H-S, 26/1. A businessman who is against population growth is a rarity! The well-known entrepreneur has incited controversy by his comments, but discouraging large families should be a key population policy. While banning is probably a bit strong (and would probably evoke

Damned if they do or don’t

2010-01-17T12:34:00.001+11:00

Article reproduced below in case it disappears: Study warns aborting girl fetuses will leave China with 24 million more men than women by 2020 Beijing – Abortions of girl fetuses are expected to leave China with 24 million more men than women over the next decade, according to a study that warns the imbalance will dash many young men’s chance at marriage and lead to increased crime. China

Collected letters

2010-01-17T12:17:00.000+11:00

The articles linked in my 14/1 entry generated a flurry of letters to The Age. (I did not send one as I seem to have fallen out of favor – the last few I emailed were not published.) 15/1: Migration’s drain on public purse Michael Danby justifies our having the highest per capita immigration program by saying it brings in

Growth and greed

2010-01-14T14:57:00.005+11:00

Three population articles in today’s The Age, two of them pro-growth. “More people does not equal trashing our environment”: a minister (for migration) argues that population growth (though immigration) can be accommodated for with adequate planning. Given how hopeless the Brumby Government is at planning anything, his is wishful thinking. More immigration might seem to boost the economy in the

David vs. Goliath

2010-01-12T18:06:00.003+11:00

“Bushland owners to fight bid for overpass”, The Age, 11/1. The owners of a heritage-listed bushland property are to fight the State Government’s compulsory land acquisition for a freeway bypass (mentioned in my 16/12/2009 entry). I really hope they can win as the Brumby Government are environmental vandals. The Save The Pines! website is a support group. A letter, 12/1: Warped priorities I

Pompous ass

2010-01-12T16:06:00.004+11:00

If there is one blogger who seriously irritates me, it is author John C. Wright. He is a Catholic/conservative/libertarian (a former atheist who underwent a “conversion” after a heart attack), and, not surprisingly, he is anti-abortion, anti-contraception, and (the subject of this entry) does not believe Earth is overpopulated. On the contrary, the more humans the merrier! A recent Livejournal

Collected letters

2009-12-29T12:29:00.001+11:00

Some recent newspaper letters (none mine). The Age, 16/12: Sorry, the eco-tooth fairy is not coming Climate change is happening. Ask anyone in the bush. It seems as if only idiot politicians insulated from reality think that you can escape it. I live about 100 kilometres from Melbourne on eight hectares. February taught me that I cannot rely on the CFA to come to my rescue. I have installed

Housing greed

2009-12-26T14:58:00.004+11:00

Letters from the Herald-Sun, both concerning housing, 7/12: Why have our regulators allowed the building of suburbs full of large homes without eaves and with no room for shade trees? These homes require air conditioners and those coolers consume energy while pumping hot air into the small gaps between the buildings. The same developments have no associated energy-efficient public transport.

Freeway mania

2009-12-16T18:47:00.002+11:00

“Frankston Bypass to bury historical remnant bush at Westerfield”, Courier-Mail, 10/12. I can only feel disgust at the Brumby Government for its obsession with scarring the landscape with yet more freeways, and this particular freeway will cut through an ecologically-significant piece of remnant bushland. No amount of compensation will make up for the loss once that ecology is gone. As it is a

My published letter – 9/12

2009-12-09T14:41:00.000+11:00

This was in response to a real estate ad in the previous week’s local newspaper. My letter got edited a bit. Original version: The full-page real estate ad in the 3/12 [local paper] that gloated over rising house prices is an example of how warped by greed the market has become. Increasing property values also mean council rates rise, thus the cost of living goes up. Population growth means

Population overload

2009-12-04T18:35:00.000+11:00

“Population overload”, BBC Focus, issue 207. This article provides an overview of the population growth issue, and the problems facing campaigners trying to bring attention to it, noting that fewer people means other social and environmental problems can be alleviated. It also notes that even if reduction measures were put in place soon, growth would still continue for decades due to momentum:

Collected letters

2009-12-03T16:23:00.002+11:00

A collection of other people’s letters on overpopulation and overdevelopment, from since the last time I wrote. 24/11: It’s no fun living in a concrete jungle Paul Mees (Comment, 23/11) provides logical thinking about Melbourne residential densities, transport systems and trees. Single-dwelling lots take far too much blame for our transport congestion and overpopulation problems, when they

Too popular

2009-11-22T13:26:00.004+11:00

“Melting pot set for population boom”, ABC News, 19/11; “South East Queensland: beautiful one day, now a building site”, The Age, 20/11. Queensland, long a popular destination for immigrants from other states, is full to bursting, and long-time residents are understandably fed-up with the influx, continuing construction projects and community tensions that ensue. But Queensland Premier Anna Bligh

My published letter, 13/11

2009-11-13T14:22:00.000+11:00

In response to “Shut the door on Kiwis to curb growth says MP”, Herald-Sun, 12/11: Migration ruining land, wildlife Thank you, Kelvin Thomson, for giving concerned political constituents a voice on the issue of overpopulation (“MP wants to slash Kiwi migrant influx”, November 12). For years, this festering issue has been taboo on both sides of Parliament and rampant population growth has been

Growth isn’t good

2009-11-12T12:58:00.002+11:00

“The big leap”, The Age, 10/11. Residents of a seaside town, Torquay, are experiencing the unpleasant aspects of population growth. Monash University demographer Bob Birrell says the entire world is ageing and the massive numbers of migrants needed to increase the ratio of workers to pensioners could be more of a catastrophe than the problem it seeks to overcome. “It is not sensible policy to

Growing like a cancer

2009-11-07T12:55:00.001+11:00

Everytime I see that Victorian Government Transport “Plan” ad on TV (YouTube parody version), I want to throw something at it! “Victoria is growing” the voiceover man cheerily says – well, that’s not a good thing, is it? Life is getting very stressful for those living here. The Govt. merely seems obsessed with scarring the landscape with yet more freeways. “Labour has been ‘maladroit’ in

Perfect storm

2009-10-29T15:27:00.001+11:00

“Australia faces famine, expert warns”, ABC News, 29/10. The idea of Australians facing famine seems unthinkable, but this could be a real prospect in the future as the “perfect storm” of population growth, water shortages, land degradation and climate change converge. Treasury head Ken Henry this week said that Australia’s population growth is the biggest challenge to Commonwealth and state

Fear the future

2009-10-23T12:06:00.000+11:00

“City to top 7m people”, The Age, 23/10. More grim predictions of Australia’s population growth, with Melbourne reaching the nightmarish status of a megacity, and Australia climbing to 35 million. One politician expresses concern as to how the environment will cope with this (it is devastated already), but Prime Minister Kevin Rudd remains oblivious to such concerns. Last night Prime Minister

Published letters

2009-09-29T11:46:00.004+10:00

A collection of letters from the last week or so about population growth. I did not send one in as I felt I couldn’t add anything more to the discussion. SMH, 18/9: It’s not just paying pensions; population growth is bad news all round Business groups will no doubt welcome the news of the runaway growth of the Australian population, but it is bad news for the country (“Population boom prompts

Water wars

2009-09-29T11:42:00.000+10:00

Another week of population articles, the first few from The Age: “Our population explosion: more people, more damage”, 23/9; “Let’s think twice about growth by immigration”, 28/9. Opinion piece by Ross Gittins, on the wilful blindness of politicians towards the negative effects of population growth. “Migration waves”, 26/9. Australia has a high rate of immigration, but is poorly-prepared to deal

Garden-hater

2009-09-21T12:01:00.001+10:00

“Deceptive green of suburban gardens”, The Age, 19/9. Opinion piece by a Robert Nelson, who thinks that suburban gardens are environmentally-unfriendly because they take up space and encourage urban sprawl. So his “solution” is, predictably, to do away with planning regulations and cram housing together as much as possible. With fewer private gardens, less water would be used and the streets

The coming collapse

2009-09-19T13:59:00.007+10:00

Australia’s population growth expectations have been revised; Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan yesterday revealed a prediction of 35 million by 2049. Most of the articles in the links below regard this as a good thing; a “challenge” rather than a concern. 35 million may seem small compared to the populations of many countries, but take into consideration that most of the Australian continent is

Immigration debate

2009-09-01T12:25:00.001+10:00

Yesterday The Age had some articles focused on immigration: “Migration rules set for revamp”. There are a huge number of temporary residents (600 000!), competing for jobs with citizens. “Want job, will travel”. Australia has one of the highest population growths (1.9%) in the world, a disturbing exception to most other developed countries, and much of it attributable to immigration. Graeme Hugo

Despairing at stupidity

2009-08-30T15:24:00.004+10:00

I haven’t been posting due to depression and despair at the seeming pointlessness of trying to do anything to combat overpopulation – growth-addicted governments just don’t want to know, and the majority of humans think it doesn’t apply to them. I keep repeating the same opinions, but does it do any good? “Footscray’s future as ‘St Kilda of the west’ ”, Herald-Sun, 24/8. The usual clueless

My published letter – 14/8

2009-08-14T13:07:00.001+10:00

Published in the Herald-Sun; a response to an article on road rage: With continuing population growth, it’s no surprise that road rage incidents are increasing (“Road rage hits new low in Melbourne”, 12/8). Overcrowding induces stress, and such incidents are a symptom of this frustration. A lot of social and environmental problems would be alleviated by there being fewer people, but not many

More IVF entitlement

2009-08-08T13:28:00.001+10:00

“Arrivals are our engine for growth”, Herald-Sun, 29/7. Clueless opinion piece stating the usual argument that immigration is the cure for all economic ills. Young immigrants will also age, so even more younger ones will be required to sustain them, and so on until the population reaches absurd figures. “AMA head Dr Andrew Pesce in IVF row”, Herald-Sun, 2/8. The new head of the Australian

Ageing threat?

2009-07-26T14:22:00.001+10:00

“Shanghai urges ‘two-child policy’ ”, BBC News, 24/7. China has a growing ageing population, so some cities are wanting to increase the one-child policy to two children. Big mistake! China already has nearly 1.4 billion people; the last thing they need is to increase this. Micky Bristow, BBC News Chinese and foreign experts have been saying for some time that China needs to change its strict

My published letter – 22/7

2009-07-22T12:07:00.003+10:00

“The grass isn’t always green in Melbourne’s exclusive suburbs”, Herald-Sun, 21/7. This article about the cosmetic use of synthetic grass annoyed me enough to send off a letter, which got published (in an edited form): The vanity of some residents is unbelievable. Synthetic grass smothers the soil under it, as well as reflecting heat in summer, and ultimately ends up in landfill. It does nothing

Too many of us, says Apollo astronaut

2009-07-18T11:59:00.002+10:00

The Apollo 11 moon landing 40th anniversary is currently underway. An entry at Cosmic Log, “Apollo 11: Where are they now?”, has this interview excerpt with Michael Collins (who remained in lunar orbit): As seen from the moon, Earth looked fragile 40 years ago and probably would look even more fragile today, Collins said: …When we flew to the moon, our population was 3 billion; today it has

Annoying stories

2009-07-16T14:01:00.002+10:00

I was browsing through the Young Adult section in Borders bookstore today, and came across a series by a Gemma Malley that aroused my ire. Beginning with The Declaration and continuing with The Resistance, they are set in a dystopian future, a drug to prolong life has been discovered, and naturally is used by a lot of people. With an increasing population, though, this puts a great burden on

Dwindling supplies

2009-07-07T13:58:00.002+10:00

An alarming article about our water supplies from The Age, 1/7: Drought runs into 13th year Melbourne has endured its driest first half year on record, with less than 50 per cent of the long-term average falling up until late yesterday afternoon. The year’s rainfall up until 9am yesterday was 126.2 millimetres, 8 millimetres below the previous half-year record low of 134.5 millimetres set in

Mad at Madden

2009-06-29T12:44:00.001+10:00

The Age readers were quick in responding to Planning Minister Justin Madden’s article (I sent in a letter but it was not published): 26/6: Low density, high amenity can’t coexist Justin Madden’s defence of his Government’s decision to abandon Melbourne’s green wedges and release huge tracts of land for development demands a response. Attacking critics as elitist is unworthy of a minister. The

Planning outrage

2009-06-25T12:18:00.000+10:00

Below is a collection of published letters from The Age over the last week, most opposed to the Victorian Government’s undemocratic takeover of planning issues. 15/6: Population fallacy It is a fallacy that we need high population growth to sustain our economy. Denmark has a stable population of 5 million, with a low birth rate and immigration rate. Its unemployment rate is the lowest in the

Repeating history

2009-06-16T14:27:00.002+10:00

“Our civilisation will be just as fragile as those before”, The Age, 16/6 (reproduced below). An excellent article pointing out that our modern civilization could go the same way as others before us in history (the ancient Romans, Mayans, those in India and so on) due to resource depletion, environmental damage, greed and hubris. The current situation is unique in that the Earth has never had to

Impeach Brumby!

2009-06-13T12:39:00.003+10:00

That expresses the exasperation and frustration I feel with the current Victorian Government. Planning issues have been in the news again this week, and the Brumby Government (especially Planning Minister Justin Madden) continue to force their overcrowding and overdevelopment agenda, irrespective of how residents feel. Some articles from The Age: “Brumby tackled on urban sprawl”, 9/6. The “Green

Hidden resentment

2009-06-06T16:19:00.000+10:00

In recent weeks there has been several attacks on international students from India. The letters below suggest additional reasons other than racism (which is undeniably a factor): Hidden resentment With regard to assaults on overseas students, dare one raise possible underlying reasons without being assailed with the usual ideology-based BRIX (bigot, racist, ignorant, xenophobe)

My published letter – 27/5

2009-05-27T15:03:00.001+10:00

Got my letter in response to yesterday’s article published in today’s Herald-Sun: The Water Minister’s refusal to consider restricting population growth to conserve dwindling water supplies (“Population Boost”, May 26) is symptomatic of a government addicted to growth – despite the negative social and environmental consequences. The Brumby Government appears obsessed with protecting its mates in

Totally clueless

2009-05-26T10:18:00.002+10:00

Words fail me. From today’s Herald-Sun: Population boost The State Government has ruled out cutting population growth as a way of dealing with the acute water shortage. Water Minister Tim Holding said rapid population growth should continue, despite record low dam levels. “We’ve seen strong population growth in Victoria as something that’s contributing to the strong economy that we have, the

Brumby the Dictator (continued…)

2009-05-23T12:28:00.002+10:00

“Brumby’s planning law bypass”, The Age, 21/5; “Constructing a city behind closed doors”, 20/5. The Brumby State Government continues to change planning laws under the excuse of creating jobs, without caring what impact this will have on the residents who have to endure ugly and inappropriate development. Some letters from today’s The Age: Residents left to deal with fallout Having spent a day

Trees = rain

2009-05-18T18:13:00.001+10:00

From New Scientist, 16/5: Land clearances turned up the heat on Australian climate Deforestation by European settlers may be to blame for making Australia’s drought longer, hotter and dryer than it would be otherwise. The “big dry”, Australia’s 11-year drought, has been blamed on greenhouse gases and natural variability. To see if deforestation played a part, Clive McAlpine of the University of