Self Regulatory failure
February 9, 2007•223 words
One again I have left it to the very last minute to complete an essay. Started and finished it yesterday to hand in today. Not really the best way to go about getting a good grade but I've known that for years and it's never made the slightest bit of difference. I wonder if procrastination is a genetic trait?
The topic was population and environmental problems. To discuss the pros and cons of population reduction as a means to address environmental problems. This is a huge subject on which thousands of papers and articles have been written. Learnt a lot about the issues but I suppose there is only so much you can assimilate in one day.
My essay concluded rather pessimistically that the arguments for reducing the population are compelling and that those against were a bit thin on the ground. The only grounds for continuing population growth that I could see was as an insurance for the millions that might be wiped out by climate change which ironically is probably caused to a large extent by overpopulation and development.
The days of Cornucopia it seems maybe over and that Malthus was kind of right all along. Something that developed nations may find difficult to adapt to and developing nations reluctant to accept. Perhaps another example of self regulatory failure all be it on a somewhat more significant scale than my own idleness!