People say public speaking ranks as the numbe one fear that most people in the world have, even more fearsome than death. Me, well I think it can be pretty scary to stand up in front of a huge crowd and speak, but is even more petrifying is to stand in front of a huge crowd of you own family , loved ones and not being able to justify why we are giving them (and their generations to come) the gift of an impure world. All of us today are at that juncture where we are answerable to those around us for the mess that we are making. And what a mess it is!
Population is on an all time high. I quote some statistics from a website which says that India's population will exceed that of China by 2025! We are already a nation of 1.16 billion, up from 350 million at the time of independence. Just thinking of some of the problems that such high population creates in our day to day life -
a) Population -> Deforestation for habitation-> extinction of natural flora and fauna-> global warming->higher temperatures-> loss of crop -> farmer's suicides, death due to dehydration/excessive heat
b) Population -> More consumers of limited natural and man made resources-> More consumer waste dumped into natural resources like air and water -> consumption of contaminated natural resources -> death due to toxicity, congenital defects and rise in cancer
c) Population ->Global Warming -> Shorter/Weaker Monsoon -> failed crop yield -> multinationals pushing genetically modified crop under the guise of being more hardy -> untested GM food landing on our tables
d) Population ->Global Warming ->Sweltering heat -> Increased consumption of carbonated drinks -> Unnecessary and irregular spikes in body's sugar level -> decreased stamina -> Rise in Obesity
e) Population -> Lesser per capita resources available -> Need for more earning hands -> Education on backburner ->Self centered and egotistical behaviour -> corruption, 'honor' killings-> value for money and no value for life
Some might think that these are very far fetched consequences of the population rise but these are only the tip of the iceberg. We are creating a world for ourselves where what we see today will no longer exist for our future generations. My dad says he misses the chirping of sparrows in the morning now that there are so few left in Delhi. That is such a sad thing!
But really, as complicated as it might seem, the solution to this problem is rather simple steps that each of us can follow and make a difference -
a) Educate self and family on the need for family planning. If you have helpers at home, make sure you talk to them about educating women (and men too) in their houses about family planning. Need help - Just found out about http://www.fpaindia.org/
b) Educate people on valuing a girl child. There are still many families that are ready to produce a dozen children until they have a boy. A village in Bihar is setting a great example by celebrating the birth of girls in the village- An inspiring story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10204759
c) Carpool when possible, grow a garden on the rooftop, grow your own food if possible, love a lot and live n let live (unlike what Axl Rose preaches :))
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