Relative Something

Now it is November. The world’s populations has reached 7 billion people strong, with probably too many of those people thinking we are all in a handbasket on the expressway to eternal doom and gloom. But a little skepticism about our situation would appear justified.

There is just no denying the importance of perspective, in reference to the outlook most folks have regarding the status of our growing population. Compare how two people would parse the milestone of earth’s population reaching 7 billion, if one were from the most densely populated cities of India or the Philippines, as compared to the least dense regions of remote Mongolia or Australia.

In my situation, I am aware there are more people than ever before, (even though my household is now made up of less people than ever before), most often, as a result of the amount of automobile traffic on my usual routes. However, I still enjoy the space of living that allows me to survive mostly oblivious to the long simmering, and continuously growing threat of over-population of our planet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:World-Population-1800-2100.png

To me, the most extreme, yet obvious, way of presenting the reality of population growth is by a graph that depicts the number of people over time. If a person were to measure the precariousness of our situation based on the logic that we have adapted thus far, the graph is a great way to present the lunacy of assuming our brilliant adaptation over the last hundred years will apply to the next hundred.

Just like the exercise of repeatedly doubling a sum: 1 + 1 = 2; 2 + 2 = 4; then 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, etc. – …a line-graph of the results looks relatively flat for the first portion, but eventually takes a dramatic upturn. Nothing can ever be the same as it once was.

At the rate things are changing, making plans for events happening in the present, based on comparison to a same such event just one year ago, is becoming an unreliable reference. I know it frustrates those who pine for things to return to the way they used to be. Of course, that really only applies to those who were privileged enough to be in a dominant group, enjoying the fruits of success at the expense of others. Those who have endured years of discrimination share no similar desire to return to “the good ol’ days.”

I don’t expect this November to be the same as all my Novembers before, but I am growing less pessimistic with time, and I sense plenty of reasons to visualize the handbasket that I am in, as headed for wonderful things, with an added bonus of including more people than ever before. Feel free to climb aboard and join me!