“Everyone could fit in Texas with room to spare,” people naively say, as if it was the relevant measure. Sadly, some who hear them don’t realize that a person needs a lot more space than just their person. They need farmland to grow their food, water to process their waste, and so on. When you factor all those things in, we need more space than exists on Earth.
One big need is for animals we eat. Look at how much more animals we use and therefore take up space with than before. We dominate the Earth. Factor in again that your use of animals almost certainly relied on factory farming, which, besides its cruelty, further erodes Earth’s ability to sustain life.
So don’t listen to someone who says we have plenty of space therefore population doesn’t matter.
Do you tailgate?
Think of how much space you take up on a highway. Your car takes up more space than you do, by a lot. The space between cars is greater still, and the faster you move, the more space you take up.
Well, if all you care about is how much space a person takes up, why not tailgate at seventy miles per hour? Think of how much space there is! With an inch between bumpers, congestion would be a thing of the past. Why not invite people to tailgate you? Put on a bumper sticker “Please tailgate, there’s plenty of space.”
Oh wait, that’s unsafe. You’d never do it. Your physical space and size doesn’t determine how much space you need. Let’s not do to Earth what this woman did:
great article and analogy Josh.. one thought about your pride parade litter video… I have a friend who refuses to pick up trash because he says in enables litterers… What if New York refused to have anyone pick up parade trash and instead just sent in journalists to document the trash and then refused future permits to those who misbehave? Perhaps its like those who leave their popcorn in the theater knowing someone is paid to clean up after them, they excuse their laziness and damage!!…
Thank you.
I had a friend who used that excuse too. I’ve come to conclude most people have found ways to mollify their conflicted feelings so they can sleep at night. Humans rationalize our choices after making them, but feel like we reasoned our way into them. They’re just saying “not me, not now, someone else, some other time.”
I think if we didn’t clean the mess for too long, people would grow accustomed to it and relax whatever standards they have even more. I plan next year to contact the organizers a few months before the next parade to suggest they send a message of stewardship: “don’t bring anything disposable, don’t leave any trash, don’t buy doof.” something like that. Every participant represents them so it’s in their interests. I’ve also thought suggesting leaving the mess there 24 hours next year so people see what they’ve done.