I am reminded of that great line in “Apollo 13”, where when confronted with the need to put 3 people in the Lunar Module, a device built with oxygen requirements for two people, Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) says ,“don’t worry guys, I will just hold my breath”.

Some in Britain have decided that the only way to divert total castastrophe with regards to our planet and its stewardship is to cut the population in half:

JONATHON PORRITT, one of Gordon Brown’s leading green advisers, is to warn that Britain must drastically reduce its population if it is to build a sustainable society.

Porritt’s call will come at this week’s annual conference of the Optimum Population Trust (OPT), of which he is patron.

The trust will release research suggesting UK population must be cut to 30m if the country wants to feed itself sustainably.

Porritt said: “Population growth, plus economic growth, is putting the world under terrible pressure.

Is it any surprise that the OPT considers reducing the population (not managing the population or providing easier means of birth control or advocating better technology with regards to food production or thinking about the people that we already have can lesson their impact)is preferable? no, the Sesame Street equation is simple, if people are the sole cause of pollution and global warming, then reducing the number of people will solve the problem, there you go.

Many experts believe that, since Europeans and Americans have such a lopsided impact on the environment, the world would benefit more from reducing their populations than by making cuts in developing countries.

What, no mention of the Chinese, Russians, or Indians? They are not impacting the planet as well? And is it not the “developed countries” that are making the advances in crop production, irrigation, and cleaner manufacturing that is making the feeding of the more poorer nations more possible?

Since the population levels of Britain are projected to advance in the future and not retract, I’m wondering how this guy expects the nation to half their population. Is he advocating that Draconian “one child per family” policy adopted by the Chinese as a method to culling their herd? the article makes no mention of it.

But maybe this guy can provide some relief.

The head of the Dignitas euthanasia clinic in Switzerland declared yesterday that he believed assisted suicide should be available ‘on demand’.

Ludwig Minelli, whose organisation has supervised the deaths of 100 Britons, said suicide was not just for those already dying but ‘a marvellous possibility given to a human being’.

The human rights lawyer said there were no limits on who might be assisted to die, as long as they had the mental capacity to make the choice.

‘It is without conditions,’ he said. ‘A human right is without any conditions except capacity.’

But, when it comes to saving the planet, are we going to let a little thing like “capacity” get in the way? I guess not:

But, despite his claim that mental capacity was a key factor in allowing death at Dignitas, Mr Minelli said the organisation had assisted the death of those with mental health problems.

And when you think about it, someone wanting to end their life for the good of their fellow citizens, doesn’t this in and of itself satisfy the capacity hurdle? How could such a selfless act even be considered unless that beautiful caring person did not have the proper grasp of the situation.

The planet is bulging at the seams with people, and the population growing out of control will only make the problem worse, but efforts should be made in managing those already here, in feeding them, and providing the means whereby they can control their populations themselves and take care of themselves.

Nobody chooses poverty, strife, and misery as a preferable method of living their lives and if given the chance, self reliance will always win out.