TALKING POINTS RE: POPULATION

ALL American Life League, Inc.
National Headquarters: P.O. BOX 1350, Stafford, VA 22555
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DEBUNKING MYTHS - PROTECTING PEOPLE

Nineteen ninety-four is a historic year for those who advocate population control as well as those who factually debunk the many myths surrounding the topic of population. The United Nations will host a meeting in Cairo this year, and throughout this year the media will publish and/or air fairy-tale science reports regarding alleged population problems.

What is the truth about population?

The following truths are documented in Handbook on Population by Dr. Robert L. Sassone. The book can be ordered from American Life League, Inc., P.O. Box 1350, Stafford, VA 22555, for $4.00 per copy.

Food? The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization states:
The 20 countries having the worst food situations are low-population countries, and 18 of the 20 have low population densities. (Q211)
The number of calories consumed per day in developing and low-income countries has increased by more than 500 since 1961. (Q216)
Since 1961, the percentage of people living in developing countries with a diet averaging less than 2,000 calories per day has decreased from 74% to 6%. (Q219)
Since 1961, the percentage of people living in developing countries with a diet averaging more than 2,600 calories per day has increased from 2% to 50%. (Q219)
Since 1990, about 86% of people in developing countries have had a daily diet of more than the 2,200-calorie average recommended by the U.S. Food & Nutrition Board, 6% averaged less than 2,000 calories per day and 8% averaged between 2,000 and 2,200 calories per day. (Q218, 219)
Since 1947, food production per person has increased by more than 40% in developing countries. (Q220)
More of earth is covered by forest than is used for farming. (Q226)
Most of earth's potential farming land is not used for farming. (Q226, 227)
A machine costing about $1,000 can make human food such as pasta or a nutritious food supplement powder from plant matter such as leaves. It could prevent most malnutrition in emergencies. (Q230)
Resources and energy?
Population controller Paul Ehrlich in 1981 bet opponent Julian Simon $1,000 that Ehrlich could predict increases in resource prices. In 1991, the resources Ehrlich had been most certain would increase in price declined in price by more than 50%. (Q304)
Over the long run, the price of every resource always declines and the supply always increases. Reserves are only a tiny fraction of each resource known to exist. Mineral exploration and technology develop new reserves faster than old reserves are used. (Q305, Q306)
The world's known oil reserves are the greatest ever. (Q308)
World natural gas reserves are the greatest ever. (322)
Earth's rivers and lakes contain enough fresh water to cover all earth's land 13 feet deep. (Q329) According to the U.N., 72% of people in developing countries have clean water. (Q33l)
The cost of electricity generated by solar cells that convert sunlight to electricity has been reduced almost to the cost of oil-generated electricity. (Q337)
The U.S. has about 800 trees per person. The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide has vastly increased tree growth. (Q339, 824)
Earth: empty or crowded?
Everybody could fit inside the buildings of just one city. (Q407)
Everybody could stand in a square 12 miles by 12 miles. (Q409)
Everybody could lie down in just one city. (Q409)
Only about 1% of the U.S. is paved. (Q411)
Less than 25% of U.S. land is crop land, paved, or developed area. (Q412)
All earth's buildings could fit into West Virginia. (Q414)
All the earth's farms, roads and buildings could fit in North America. (Q415)
If everyone lived in the U.S., it would be about 50% more crowded than New Jersey. (Q419)

"Before I formed you In the womb I knew you..."
(Jeremiah 1:5)

Population
World population growth rates have declined. (Q506)
Birth rates worldwide have declined. (Q506)
All major trends are causing birth rates to decline. (Q509-5l3)
Birth rates worldwide are expected to decline about the year 2000. (Q515)
Fewer babies are now being born in all world regions except Africa and South Asia. (Q515)
People in Australia or Canada are about three times as likely to live in cities than people in India or China. (Q521)
Extinction of Species
The U.S. Government Global 2000 Report to the President predicted in 1980 that 500,000 species would become extinct within 20 years. (Q608-6l0)
Only seven species are known to have become extinct between 1973 and 1993, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (Q603)
Estimates of large numbers of species becoming extinct are based on a definition error. The error is in treating each subspecies (pans of a species in a small area) as if it were an entire species. (Q619)
Pollution
U.S. air is cleaner than it used to be. (Q702)
U.S. water is cleaner than it used to be. (Q732)
U.S. solid waste (trash) can now be disposed of more cheaply. (Q730)
The major pollution problems have cost-effective solutions. (Ch. 7)
Global Warming
Since the very cold years around 1881, earth's average temperature has increased by about 1/2 degree Celsius. (Q801, 810)
Concentrations of all major greenhouse gases, except water, are increasing. (Q801)
Earth's temperature will not substantially increase because water vapour in the atmosphere (which is not increasing) accounts for 98% of earth's greenhouse effect, and the other greenhouse gases (which are increasing) account for only 2% of earth's greenhouse effect. (Q819)
Earth's surface temperature will not substantially increase because of increased greenhouse gases, because energy radiated from earth's surface bypasses nearly all greenhouse gases on its trip back to space. First water evaporates, absorbing energy. The vapour rises and condenses into rain above nearly all greenhouse gases, giving up energy which radiates to outer space without interference from lower-level greenhouse gases. (Q819)
Experiments indicate atmospheric carbon dioxide will probably not double, because increased carbon dioxide causes trees and plants to grow faster, thereby removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere faster. (Q824)
Fears of harmful warming of the earth are based not on temperature records, but on computer models which have failed all tests of accuracy or validity, and therefore cannot accurately predict any harmful earth warming. (Q828)
Variation in the sun's radiation, as well as volcanic activity, have correlated with earth's warming and cooling for more than 100 years, and indicate there has been and will be no harmful greenhouse warming. (Q833)
Ozone
Ozone concentrations in the upper atmosphere vary by about 50% within just a few weeks for natural reasons. (Q907)
About 1980, the U.S. Academy of Sciences predicted that ozone would be reduced by first 18%, then 6% and finally 3%; the variation shows how such predictions were mere guesses. (Q908)
The 3% decrease in ozone predicted by the U.S. Academy of Sciences would increase the harmful ultraviolet radiation a person receives by the same amount as if that person moved only 18 miles south. (Q914)
Large volcanic eruptions decrease atmospheric ozone concentrations. (Q923)
Quality of Life

The U.N. measures quality of life about forty ways. All forty ways indicate that more people mean a better quality of life on average. (Q1002)

* All references are to question numbers in Handbook on Population.