Overpopulation puts a strain on Earth

Eileen Schenck, Las Vegas

Monday, May 5, 2008 | 2:03 a.m.

Regarding Gary Strabala’s Friday letter headlined “Why overpopulation isn’t the real problem”:

Mankind has left behind stubble where once stood forests that provided habitat, we are losing rain forest land at horrendous rates, we are polluting the atmosphere, and we have fouled our rivers and oceans — all because there are so many overpopulated areas.

The human population is now at about 6 2/3 billion. What happens in another 20 years?

Even with attrition the population continues to grow larger and larger.

China remembers all too well the terrible famines that swept its land, causing the lingering deaths of at least 3 million. Ethiopia and Bangladesh have had famines. Now rice is scarce in many areas.

We are not talking about population and prosperity. What happens when there is no decent water to drink or to apply to crops (all too true now in many countries) nor enough food for their people?

Should we have many major storms adversely affect crops worldwide, what then?