Effects of Population Growth on Natural Resources and the Environment: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives, Ninety-first Congress, First Session. September 15 and 16, 1969, Volume 74, Page 81 - Volume 77, Page 81U.S. Government Printing Office, 1969 - 256 pages |
Common terms and phrases
achieve acres American areas automobiles average become behavior birth control birth rate capita child childbearing CONGRESS THE LIBRARY contraceptive costs couples demographic density economic effects energy environment environmental example excess fertility fact family planning family planning services Garrett Hardin goal Government gross national product HARDIN Harkavy human important income individual industrial Kingsley Davis land less level of living LIBRARY OF CONGRES LIBRARY OF CONGRESS limitation marriage materials means ment mental health methods million mineral natural environment natural resources number of children optimum population overpopulation parenthood parents percent pill pollution poor popu population control population density population growth population increase population policy population problem population stability pregnancy present production question reduce reproduction REUSS REVELLE Science smog social society subcommittee things tion United unwanted urban women
Popular passages
Page 135 - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes the family as the natural and fundamental unit of society. It follows that any choice and decision with regard to the size of the family must irrevocably rest with the family itself, and cannot be made by anyone else.
Page 133 - Adding together the component partial utilities, the rational herdsman concludes that the only sensible course for him to pursue is to add another animal to his herd. And another; and another . . . But this is the conclusion reached by each and every rational herdsman sharing a commons. Therein is the tragedy. Each man is locked into a system that compels him to increase his herd without limit - in a world that is limited.
Page 135 - To couple the concept of freedom to breed with the belief that everyone born has an equal right to the commons is to lock the world into a tragic course of action.
Page 133 - Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.
Page 133 - ... social stability becomes a reality. At this point, the inherent logic of the commons remorselessly generates tragedy. As a rational being, each herdsman seeks to maximize his gain. Explicitly or lmplicitly, more or less consciously, he asks. "What is the utility to me of adding one more animal to my herd?
Page 137 - Thou shall not rob banks," without providing for exceptions. But temperance also can be created by coercion. Taxing is a good coercive device. To keep downtown shoppers temperate in their use of parking space we introduce parking meters for short periods, and traffic fines for longer ones. We need not actually...
Page 134 - Flowing water purifies itself every 10 miles," my grandfather used to say, and the myth was near enough to the truth when he was a boy, for there were not too many people. But as population became denser, the natural chemical and biological recycling processes became overloaded, calling for a redefinition of property rights. How to Legislate Temperance? Analysis of the pollution problem as a function of population density uncovers a not generally recognized principle of morality, namely: the morality...
Page 133 - This inevitableness of destiny can only be illustrated in terms of human life by incidents which in fact involve unhappiness. For it is only by them that the futility of escape can be made evident in the drama." The tragedy of the commons develops in this way.
Page 137 - ... of which is psychologically pathogenic. We hear much talk these days of responsible parenthood ; the coupled words are incorporated into the titles of some organizations devoted to birth control. Some people have proposed massive propaganda campaigns to instill responsibility into the nation's (or the world's) breeders. But what is the meaning of the word responsibility In this context? Is it not merely a synonym for the word conscience?
Page 132 - ... case of perpetual wide fluctuations above and below zero is a trivial variant that need not be discussed.) When this condition is met, what will be the situation of mankind? Specifically, can Bentham's goal of "the greatest good for the greatest number