Sir David Attenborough says humans are a 'plague on the Earth'

Naturalist Sir David Attenborough has described humans as a "plague on the Earth" while speaking out about population growth.

The 86-year-old veteran broadcaster, who was educated in Leicester, warned of the need to control the increase in population in order to save the planet.


http://www.thisisleicestershire.co....plague-Earth/story-17930903-detail/story.html
http://www.populationmatters.org/



Does using language like that help or hinder his cause?

 

Individually,most people are good and would like to see change for the good.However as a collective,who are powerless to effect change,humanity could be seen as a "plague" to other species and to ourselves.We are eating the planets' finite resources from the inside out.I can't say whether or not Attenborough's statement will help or hinder his cause,only that he is a great man and many people respect him.I hope he has success with the cause.Overpopulation is a concern,but when you consider that as a species we throw away around half of our food every year,we should note that a redistribution of resources would go some way to supporting the increase in population that we will see in the coming century.

 

I read this in the paper today, took at him meaning, stop fuckin breeding!

 

I agree that the earth can only support so many people.

There are many other factors involved though as to whey we have some of the issue that we do that are not from overpopulation as much as from abuse of our earth.

Most people today do not have large families compared to past generations.

 

Yeah, that's one way to look at it.

But Earth made us more than we made Earth.

Maybe we're Earth's forest fire; and life's regrowth is gonna be totally awesome after we finish our devastation. Maybe Earth is our plague; why did it make us if it can't control us?

And I mean; it's not like we're the only animal that's torn apart the balance of eco-systems and fucked nature's day all up. We're just the best (/worst) to ever exist, as far as we know.


He's sure right about population overgrowth though. I'm sick of all yins everywhere.


Oh, and about the language thing. Acerbic and inflammatory language is the only way to spread most ideas into the mainstream anymore.

 

Let the old fuck lead by example by fucking offing himself. I am sick of these eugenical "humans are evil" elitists pushing their New World Order trash.

 

You can name things and not give a fuck.
I can say rats are a plague, but I won't make it my life goal to kill all rats. I just notice it, name it and keep on going on as usual.

 

I guess we should not focus on one word. That wasn't the sum total of what he said. But I do think words should be considered. He should be be more focused on where the issues really are - for all our consumerist and wasteful societies, we probably won't run out of food or even have a food issue. It is the developing worlds that have the real issues, and that is something I think he was really talking about - albeit in a slightly veiled way.

I thought 'eugenics' was about sifting out the 'bad' genes - not population control.
I knew that might be mentioned, though. I do think populations should be managed, or atleast education should be available to show that birth control is not the work of the devil. Also, families should not have to produce more children just simply for there to be enough people to support the family.

Education/Condoms and atheism is the key (ok, maybe the last one is too far).

 

Just like when there is a plague of locusts, birds or mice for us it is mainly because of the amount of them, so we are only a plague for the earth when we are with too much. You don't have to kill a lot of people or yourself to deal with this problem We should just adjust our population behaviour so to say and then the future generations won't have to view themselves as this at all.

 

Could we agree secularism is the key? Really most religious people aren't that antiquated or fascist, to be against scientific advances; the ones that are are just extremely loud.

 

I get sick of the "save the earth, humans are bad" bullshit. The Earth is a rock, orbiting a star in space with billions of other stars with rocks. It will be fine. It'll be here long after we are extinct, and some other species rules. And some day, the sun will burn out and be reborn.

I'm sure some of the other rocks have fungus of some sort growing on them, too.

 

:computer: - Ooh, alright then.

 

Amen to that. :2thumbsup:

 

Wow, sounds like Agenda 21. I love these media tools telling the people we need to cut the population. Funny, the only people who will end up restricted are us. They will continue to breed and fly around the world in jets (and continue to pollute and be this plague).

 

I don't think the worries of those people are essentially about the rock that is earth but about the other living things on it, some that are already endangered with extinction or other that may be important for things in ecosystems we highly appreciate

 

They too will eventually die.

 

Yes but it is more fun if they stay with us a bit longer. Especially if they support our ecosystems. I agree the earth will eventually restore a lot but what do we and our next generations get out of that If humans keep polluting the earth on such scale as we are doing now we will be making more impact on the earth and I don't really see much positive effects overall.

 

True, we like to feel that we need to contribute to a 'better' Earth, because we add value to things. I am pretty sure nature itself does not care.

 

I do think that these people are thinking they are saving the rock. They have given it human emotions, "mother earth" names...
It's a short life. Yes, I think we should tone down the pollution and consumption, so that we can breathe and have clean water as long as we are here, but saying that other animals are as or more important than humans is ridiculous.
Population control happens naturally. Species go extinct, and new species are discovered. Mass extinctions happen. Who are we to try to keep things the same forever?

 

This isn't the conspiracy forum. If you have nothing more than 'Wow, sounds like Agenda 21' - is it possible to keep that to that forum please.

I don't think David is having any more children any time soon.