We can't. But if you mention any kind of world wide effort for population control, say one child per couple max—the whiners come out and cry about draconian measures. A writer below says that plagues are meant to control the population. True, but wouldn't it be an amazing human endeavor if we seized control of our own destiny and took positive steps for the good of the human race.

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Then there is capitalism—the one true god. Capitalism demands constant growth. Capitalism demands that we be consumers, not humans, but consumers.

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When all is said and done our epitaph will read: “We wanted to save the Earth, but could never figure out how to profit from it—so we did nothing.”