key: cord-0959900-1os59qwf
authors: Lidicker, William Z.
title: A SCIENTIST’S WARNING TO HUMANITY ON HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH
date: 2020-08-12
journal: Glob Ecol Conserv
DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01232
sha: ce9dd73a3281a32d983c15f0898bdb12219e5736
doc_id: 959900
cord_uid: 1os59qwf

One needs only to peruse the daily news to be aware that humanity is on a dangerous and challenging trajectory. This essay explores the prospect of adopting a science-based framework for confronting these potentially adverse prospects. It explores a perspective based on relevant ecological and behavioral science. The objective is to involve concerned citizens of the world in this enterprise. The overall objective is to maintain Planet Earth as a favorable home for the future of humanity. Nine ecological principles explain one major aspect of what is happening and provide critical guidelines for appropriate action. Nine social behaviors explore how we might integrate social science insights with those from ecology. Twenty predictions are proposed based on these ecological and social science principles plus existing trends. If these trends are not vigorously and courageously confronted, we will likely be on track for the demise of our civilization. As we examine these challenges, our job will be especially complicated because a major segment of humanity is not prepared to accept evidence based on science, and this generates much resistance to any efforts directed toward effective control of current and future challenges. In these complex circumstances, we must remain as cooperative and optimistic as possible so that we can promote the needed willpower and ingenuity. This essay has broad support as it is a contribution to the Scientists’ Warning to Humanity Program of the Alliance of World Scientists (Ripple et al. 2017).

courageously confronted, we will likely be on track for the demise of our 31 civilization. As we examine these challenges, our job will be especially complicated 32 because a major segment of humanity is not prepared to accept evidence based 33 on science, and this generates much resistance to any efforts directed toward 34 effective control of current and future challenges. In these complex 35 circumstances, we must remain as cooperative and optimistic as possible so that 36 we can promote the needed willpower and ingenuity. 37 This essay has broad support as it is a contribution to the Scientists' Warning to 42 Planet Earth is an absolutely amazing place. An apparent rarity in the universe, 43 it possesses the appropriate physical conditions to support life. As a result it hosts 44 a tremendous variety of living creatures which we recognize and classify as 4. For social species such as humans, increasing numbers require additional 91 energy for maintaining the integrity and cohesion of the groups to which 92 they belong, and on which they depend for their livelihood. 93 5. The resources that humans need to support their food and shelter 94 requirements are partly non-renewable and partly renewable. The first 95 requires the extraction of various minerals, water, fuels, and building 96 materials. Over time these resources will decline and become increasingly 97 more difficult to extract. In the case of fresh water, supplies are becoming 98 increasingly polluted. This not only affects us directly, but also all of the 99 non-marine species that constitute the basis for our food supplies, 100 medicinal drugs, other building materials, as well as a myriad of so-called 101 "ecosystem services". This trend also can influence weather patterns. 102 ..Recent studies have concluded that our annual supply of renewables is 103 now being used up by about August 1 of any given calendar year. Thus for 104 five months we are deficit spending these resources, and in the process 105 generally doing damage such that the Earth's capability of generating these 106 renewables becomes diminished (Wakernagal, et al. 2002 More troublesome is the realization that, as mentioned, many folks view any 341 efforts to contain population growth as homicide, etc. In reality, efforts to control 342 our runaway population growth are precisely and explicitly the opposite. We 

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